A look at how much vendors were paid to process the unprecedented number of claims

A look at how much vendors were paid to process the unprecedented number of claims

RECEIVE THEIR UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE BENEFITS..

WELEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW MUCHVENDORS WERE PAID TO PROCESTHE UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERCLAIMS. WMA━2 NEWS MALLORYSOFASTAII OBTAINED COPIES OFTHOSE CONTRACTS AND THE TERMúúTHESE CONTRACTS RECEIVEDEMERGENCY APPROVAL MEANINGTHEY DIDNTYPICAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS.AND WE'VE LEARNED THE VALUEEXCEEDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARSAND COULD BE COSTING THE STATETENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARSDAY.

OVERNIGHT MILLIONSPEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS.

STATESWERE FLOODED WITH UNEMPLOYMENTINSURANCE CLAIMS ..

AND MANYFLOUNDERED TO KEEP UP WITHDEMAND.

SOT TO HELP AMERICANSREBOUNDRELIEF PROGRAMS INCLUDINGUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCEBENEFITS FOR PEOPLE WHOWERENSTATES THEN HAD TO SCRAMBLE TOFIND A WAY TO PROCESS THESECLAIMS. FROM GOVERNOR'SPRESSER ON 4/29 29:14 therenever was a website in Americato support this:03 IN MARYLANDDECIDED TO HIRE A VENDORTHEYSEVERAL YEARSSOLUTIONS OUT OF ST.

PAULMINNESOTA.

IN 2015OF PUBLIC WORKS APPROVED ACONTRACT WORTH UP TO 70.6MILLION DOLLARS100 PERCENT WITH FEDERAL FUNDS━ TO COMPLETELY OVERHAUL ANDMODERNIZE THE STATE'SUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE SYSTETHEN ON APRIL 17THCOMPANY RECEIVED EMERGENCYAPPROVAL TO PROCESS PANDEMICUNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMSMILLION DOLLARS.

AND THE NEWBEACON SYSTEM LAUNCHED A WEEKLATER ON APRIL 24TH.

NATSPHONE RINGING TO HANDLE THEOVERWHELMING CALL VOLUME━THE STATE CHOSE ACCENTURE OUTOF ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA TOSTAFF A SURGE CONTACT CENTERTHE ━YEAR CONTRACT PROVIDEUP TO 200 AGENTS.

50 STARTEDTRAINING THE WEEK OF APRIL15TH..

WITH ANOTHER 50 ADDEDEACH WEEK AFTER THAT.

THEHOURLY RATE FOR TRAINING ANDWORKING IS SET AT 55 DOLLARS.IF THE STATE HAS 200 EMPLOYEESWORKING AT ONE TIME..

FOR 8HOURS THA━ THOUSAND ADAY.

MEANWHILE..

THE STATE IALSO LOOKING TO HIREUNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCEPROFESSIONALS.... FOR 17DOLLARS AN HOUR.

ACCORDING TOTHE CONTRACT7━ THOUSAND PER MONTH FOR THEVIRTUAL AGENT AND ANADDITIONAL 50 CENTS PERCONVERSATION UP TO ━HUNDREDTHOUSAND.

IN A LETTER TO THEHOUSE ECONOMIC MATTERSCOMMITTEE..

THE AGENCY SAIDTHERE WERE MORE THAN 23━THOUSAND SESSIONS IN MAY &WHICH WOULD EQUAL MORE THAN11━THOUSAND DOLLARS.UNCLEAR HOW MUCH ACCENTURE HASBILLED SO FAR ..

THEY SUBMITMONTHLY INVOICES ..

WHICHWETOLD ME THEY DIDNPROJECT TO MAKE A PROFIT BUTWANTED TO HELP THE MARYLANDDEPARTMENT OF LABOR WHO COULDNOT HAVE OTHERWISE MET THEDEMAND.

NEWS REPORTS IN OTHERSTATESCOMPETITIVE..

WITH THE COSTBEING ANYWHERE FROM 2 MILLIONTO 5 MILLION TO IMPLEMENTPANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENTPROGRAMS.WITH BILLS TO PAY