Federal government owes nearly $7 million to Illinois COVID test provider

Published: Feb 15, 2024 Duration: 00:03:51 Category: News & Politics

Tags : CBS 2 News Evening Janine Morabito COVID testing COVID-19 testing Mercury Lab Federal Government Lauren Victory

Trending searches: covid tests government

>>> WE ARE APPROACHING FOUR YEARS SINCE OUR LIVES CHANGED FOREVER. THE EARLY DAYS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC MAY SEEM LIKE A DISTANT MEMORY FOR SOME, BUT NOT FOR ONE ILLINOIS SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. SHE WORRIES EVERY DAY WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WILL PAY HER COMPANY BACK FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITH A COVERED TESTING. CBS 2'S LAUREN VICTORY IS ALWAYS INVESTIGATING, WITH HER REPORTING CATCHINGMEDIA IS JA' WAY OF SHARING HER FRUSTRATION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. >> THERE IS ACTUALLY A LINK TO YOUR STORY. >> Reporter: THIS CBS CHICAGO STORY, WHERE WE DETAILED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS NEARLY $7 MILLION DILEMMA. SHE SPENT THE MONEY TO OPEN AND OPERATE MERCURY LAB IN DECEMBER OF 2021. INSIDE THE CHICAGO BUILDING HER COMPANY PROVIDED FREE COVERED TESTING TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, WITH THE PROMISE OF REIMBURSEMENT BY A GOVERNMENT AGENCY CALLED THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. >> WAS CONGRESS AWARE THAT THOUSANDS OF COVERED PROVIDERS HAVE NOT BEEN PAID IN TWO YEARS? >> Reporter: YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT. >> YES, AND THERE IS THE TEST TUBES. IT >> Reporter: HER EQUIPMENT IS IN STORAGE, AND HER LAB IS CLOSED BECAUSE UNCLE SAM NEVER PAID HER A DIME. SHE WAS TOLD HER CLAIMS WERE UNDER REVIEW FOR MONTHS. DURING OUR PREVIOUS INTERVIEW, CBS 2 READ AN UPDATE WE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDS, A BILL PASSED BY CONGRESS RESCINDED HER MONEY. >> NO ADDITIONAL CLAIMS PAYMENTS WILL BE MADE UNDER THE UNINSURED PROGRAM. >> WHEN YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH IT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE ANY OTHER NEWS MEDIA IS COVERING THIS TOPIC. ARE YOU SURPRISED? >> VERY SURPRISED. >> THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS NOT JUST AFFECTING JANINE HERE IN THE 10th DISTRICT, BUT IT IS AFFECTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. >> Reporter: ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN BRAD SCHNEIDER HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET PROVIDERS PAID. ONE ATTEMPT IS AT ONTO A NOVEMBER SPENDING BILL, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT AMENDMENT? >> IT GOT STALLED. EVERYTHING IN THE CONGRESS INSTALLED. >> Reporter: NOW HE IS TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH. A WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR AN IMMEDIATE ACCOUNTING OF AND PLANS FOR FILLING UNPAID AND PARTIALLY PAID CLAIMS. 12 ADDITIONAL U.S. REPRESENTATIVES PUT DOWN THEIR NAMES. >> THERE ARE MEMBERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE THAT SIGN THIS LETTER. >> YES. >> Reporter: THE BIPARTISAN INQUIRY INCLUDES QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN EXACTLY FUNDING WAS EXHAUSTED, AND WHY CLAIMS FROM LAB OWNERS WERE UNDER REVIEW FOR SO LONG . >> IS A GREAT QUESTION. >> BECAUSE HOW LONG WERE YOU IN YOUR ASSESSMENT? >> IT WAS OVER A YEAR. >> Reporter: THOSE REIMBURSEMENT DELAYS ARE CAUSING DAMAGE. SHE HAD TO TAKE A NEW JOB AND SELL OFF SEVERAL ASSETS TO TRY AND FILL HER $6.8 MILLION HOLE. >> MORE DEBT, INTEREST ON THE DEBT, MORE INTEREST, MORE INTEREST, AND WE KEEP GOING DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. >> Reporter: A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TOLD CBS 2 THIS WEEK THAT ONLY .3% OF PROVIDERS HAD NOT BEEN PAID BEFORE FUNDING WAS TAKEN AWAY. >> THEY ARE GETTING WHIP SIDE BY WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CONGRESS. WHAT DO THEY NEED TO BE THE PROCESS? >> IN OTHER WORDS, HELP US HELP YOU HELP UNPAID COVID PROVIDERS.

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