unemployment overpayments Archives

Missouri health officials say future distribution of COVID vaccine is based on following the rules

February 5, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Thursday in Jefferson City that there have been issues with the COVID vaccine distribution process, and warns that there will be consequences for vaccinators that allow people to jump the line.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters on February 4, 2021, as Governor Parson listens (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson briefed Capitol reporters during a Statehouse press conference, emphasizing that his administration will vaccinate the most vulnerable and those 65 and older first.

“This is part of the process that we’re going to put in place to be able to help that group that is in that tier and we’re going to maintain that. If that is not followed, then we will do other actions,” Parson says.

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams says future distribution of the vaccine is based on following the rules. During the press conference, Dr. Williams talked about one recent example of a vaccinator not following proper guidelines.

“It came to my attention, a pharmacist in an area called us and said look, I just know that they’re giving it to a group that’s not and so I called them,” says Dr. Williams. “I called the CEO of that institution and I said true or not true and he said true. And I said why, and he kind of went and he said I’m just going to tell you, we did it.”

Dr. Williams is not releasing the vaccinator’s name.

Governor Parson also criticized House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, for recently getting a COVID shot in Jefferson City, saying she cut in line.

Leader Quade told the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” after that event that she had asked the personnel administering the vaccine questions about the process.

“We hadn’t heard anything, of course, other than just word of mouth and then when we went there they were of course like- yes, everyone. Later to find out that wasn’t for us. And that’s, you know, a frustrating thing,” Quade told the newspaper.

The governor outlined some positive numbers, during the briefing. He says the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate is now 9.3 percent, 15 points lower than November. He describes this development as extremely encouraging.

He also says about 600,000 COVID doses have been administered to Missourians. Governor Parson says supply continues to be the limiting factor. Governor Parson says the state is committed to giving every Missourian the opportunity to eventually receive a vaccine regardless of where they live.

Mass vaccination events were conducted Thursday in three rural Missouri communities: northwest Missouri’s Chillicothe, southern Missouri’s Rolla and southeast Missouri’s Farmington. All three areas have large elderly populations. 975 doses were administered in Chillicothe, where the Missouri National Guard and health employees worked in sleet.

Governor Parson also says more than 315,000 cases of personal protective equipment (PPE) have now been shipped to Missouri health care providers, including 24 million gowns and 20 million gloves.

During the press conference, the governor was also asked about the unemployment overpayment controversy. Parson reiterates that residents who received unemployment overpayments should have to repay the money, with a payment plan.

“I don’t think if there’s a mistake made on both sides there ought to be some mutual understanding of how we make up that difference,” Parson says. “So if that means somebody paying something off over a five-year period of time or whatever the timeslots are, if they know they’ve got it and can then they should.”

The governor’s position is at odds with members of the bipartisan Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight, which has criticized the state Department of Labor’s position.

State Labor director Anna Hui testified this week that the state overpaid more than $150 million in unemployment benefits in 2020. About 46,000 Missourians have been impacted, and the oversight committee learned this week that a Kansas City woman is being told she must repay $23,000.

Missouri lawmakers in both parties critical of Labor Department’s reimbursement request for unemployment overpayments

February 3, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s labor director was grilled by state lawmakers in both parties, during a Tuesday hearing in Jefferson City involving unemployment overpayments and the department’s subsequent request for reimbursement.

State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 13, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Ben Peters at House Communications)

State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations director Anna Hui testified before the Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight, saying the state overpaid more than $150 million in unemployment benefits last year. She also says overpayments are a regular part of the unemployment program.

The $150 million number frustrates committee chairman Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, who notes the number was about $100 million three days ago. Director Hui says the number changes each day.

Director Hui testifies that about 46,000 Missourians have been impacted by the unemployment overpayments, and emphasizes that her department will work with them on a payment plan. She also says it’s critical for Missourians who have received unemployment overpayments to communicate with her department, for a repayment plan.

“And they can cover a number of different things whether it’s offset against future benefits, offset against tax returns, refunds or again, we establish a payment plan,” Director Hui testifies.

Lawmakers in both parties are critical of that. State Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, has filed a bill to change current law that mandates that the Labor Department collect on overpayments. State Rep. Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, tells Director Hui that a woman he knows has received a letter, asking her to repay $23,000. Brown says the woman doesn’t have the money.

State Reps. Tony Lovasco, R-O’Fallon, and Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, say Missourians who didn’t commit fraud should not have to repay money, because the state made the error.

“I think we need to figure out a way to let these people keep this money because ultimately they’re never going to trust us again if we don’t,” Lovasco says.

As for Representative Merideth, he’s filed a resolution that calls on Governor Parson to forgive the balance of non-fraudulent overpayments.

During the three-hour hearing, State Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville, read a letter from a northwest Missouri teacher who’s being told she must repay $9,000, because of the state’s error. He says the teacher wishes she had been denied unemployment, to begin with.

Lawmakers also learned new details about the pandemic’s impact on the state’s economy and the unemployment system.

Director Hui testifies that Missouri paid out $236 million in unemployment benefits in 2019. That number increased to $5.1 billion in 2020, due to the pandemic.

Missouri House oversight committee chair wants to make sure unemployment issue is being handled correctly (AUDIO)

February 2, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House oversight committee chair says the state overpaid more than $100 million in unemployment benefits last year, and he’s hearing that some residents are being told they’ll have to repay up to $12,000.

State Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 13, 2021, as State Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, (left) listens (file photo courtesy of Ben Peters at House Communications)

The House Special Committee on Government Oversight will hold a hearing on the issue Tuesday afternoon at 2 in Jefferson City. Committee chairman Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, tells Missourinet it’s important to find out what happened.

“I’m hearing over $100 million now, the first number I heard was $40 million and then $90 million and now it’s over $100 (million) on overpayments, and they’re requesting that money back,” Taylor says.

The committee will hear testimony Tuesday from state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations director Anna Hui on what caused the unemployment overpayments. The committee also wants to hear about the department’s subsequent request for reimbursement.

As for Governor Parson, he says Missourians mistakenly paid unemployment benefits by the state should be required to pay the money back. The governor also told the Missouri Press Association on Thursday that “some people did try to defraud the system.”

Director Hui will likely face some tough questions from lawmakers in both parties today. Chairman Taylor says taxpayers who didn’t commit fraud should not have to repay money.

“But I don’t think that these people that, through no fault of their own, they submitted the paperwork, everything was correct on their end and it was the Department (of Labor) who made these erroneous overpayments,” says Taylor.

State Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, has expressed similar concerns. Senator Williams says if the state overpaid someone, that’s on the state, not the individual.

Chairman Taylor is encouraging Missourians who can’t attend today’s hearing to fill out written testimony.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full three-minute interview with State Rep. Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, which was recorded on February 1, 2021: