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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 11 September 2020
Dem report: Medicare chief used fed money to bolster image

By ALAN FRAM over some federal workers,
Associated Press the report said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pri- Consultants arranged for
vate consultants to the fed- private meetings between
eral official who oversees Verma and hosts of conser-
Medicare billed taxpayers vative Fox News and edi-
almost $6 million in less than tors of Woman's Day and
two years to bolster her Women's Health Magazine,
personal image, including the investigators wrote.
efforts to win awards, place One memo suggested
her on lists of powerful seeking to land Verma on
women and arrange meet- Washingtonian magazine's
ings with influential people, list of Washington's most
a report by congressional powerful women.
Democrats said Thursday. Another document indi-
The consultants, many with cated contractors billed
Republican Party ties, billed at least $13,000 to offer
taxpayers up to $380 per Verma's name for awards
hour on work largely aimed and to participate in other
at polishing the profile of events. There was also an
Medicare administrator entry for nearly $3,000 for
Seema Verma, the investi- a "Girl's Night to honor the
gators wrote. Administrator."
One contractor, Pam Ste- In this July 24, 2020, file photo Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The report said Verma
vens, who's done exten- Seema Verma speaks during an event with President Donald Trump to sign executive orders on brought consultants with
lowering drug prices, in the South Court Auditorium in the White House complex in Washington.
sive work for the GOP, Associated Press her on official travel, even
charged up to $330 hourly when government aides
to pursue ideas like ask- ning Medicare, Medicaid Verma should reimburse the Democratic staffs of were there, driving up
ing publications including and other massive health the taxpayers for these in- two Senate and two House taxpayers's costs. In one
"Oprah Magazine" and programs that the agency appropriate expenditures," committees. instance, Verma took a
"Garden and Gun" to write operates, said the 56-page it said. It said that besides burnish- three-day trip to California,
articles about Verma. Ste- report, which was backed Agency officials did not ing Verma's image, the accompanied by three
vens also seemed to bill at by over 1,700 pages of immediately respond to consultants took the lead agency aides plus four
least $1,117 to arrange an documents. Verma has run emails and phone calls fashioning agency com- consultants who charged
interview that resulted in a the agency since 2017. placed to them seeking munications strategies and up to $310 hourly for some
Verma profile in AARP The "Congress did not intend comment. had access to sensitive of that time.
Magazine, the report said. for Administrator Verma or When similar findings were internal information that Verma worked on health
The contractors were other senior CMS officials unveiled by the inspector could affect financial mar- issues under Vice Presi-
"handpicked" by Verma's to use taxpayer dollars to general of the Department kets. dent Mike Pence when he
aides, the report said, cre- stockpile CMS with hand- of Health and Human Ser- Marcus Barlow, a con- was Indiana governor. She
ating "a shadow operation" picked consultants or pro- vices in July, Verma said sultant who'd previously clashed with Democrats
that sidelined the commu- mote Administrator Verma's she had "deep concerns" worked for Verma at a as part of President Don-
nications staff of the fed- public profile and personal with the conclusions and firm in Indiana, billed the ald Trump's team when he
eral Centers for Medicare brand," the report said. said that report mischar- Medicare agency for hours unsuccessfully tried repeal-
and Medicaid Services. "Given the reckless disre- acterized the contractors' comparable to those of ing former President Barack
The consultants' work often gard she has shown for the jobs. The report released full-time workers and had Obama's health care
had nothing to do with run- public's trust, Administrator Thursday was prepared by decision-making powers law.q

Smithfield Foods pork plant faces OSHA fine from outbreak

Thursday they have cited at least 1,294 workers were Smithfield plant led to the
Smithfield Foods for fail- sickened. Only two deaths violation. Employees at
ing to protect employees among employees had the plant have said Smith-
from exposure to the coro- been previously known. field did not do enoug h
navirus at the company's Smithfield Foods, which to prevent inspections in
Sioux Falls plant, an early is based in Virginia, said the plant, where workers
hot spot for virus infections it planned to contest the labored elbow-to-elbow
that hobbled American citation and $13,494 fine. as they processed nearly
meatpacking plants. Keira Lombardo, a spokes- 5% of the country's pork.
The nature and timing of woman for the company, The union at the plant, the
the violation wasn't im- called the citation "wholly United Food and Commer-
mediately clear from the without merit" in a state- cial Workers, has said that
Occupational Safety and ment and argued the it had been attempting to
Health Administration, but company had taken "ex- negotiate for more coro-
In this May 20, 2020, file photo, residents cheer and hold thank the announcement in- traordinary measures" to navirus protections lead-
you signs to greet employees of a Smithfield pork processing
plant as they begin their shift in Sioux Falls, S.D. cluded the latest assess- protect employees from ing up to the outbreak.
Associated Press ment of the virus' impact infections. After cases kept accumu-
in Sioux Falls. Four plant OSHA did not respond to lating, Smithfield shuttered
By STEPHEN GROVES SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — workers were killed by the a request for details on its plan t for nearly three
Associated Press Federal regulators said virus during the spring and what conditions at the weeks.q