By Michael Casey, The Associated Press
May 5, 01:49 PM
The report, released Wednesday, found that the Veterans Health Administration spent nearly $7 million to purchase 10,000 phones with unlimited prepaid calling plans but that 85% of the phones gathered dust. As a result, it lost $1.8 million in wasted data plan costs. The inspector general also found that $571,000 was wasted on data plans due to poor oversight of its purchase of nearly 81,000 iPads.
The smartphones and iPads were purchased as part of the efforts to increase homeless veterans’ access to telehealth, a program that saw video visits increase from about 2,500 in February 2020 to 38,000 in September 2020. The veterans were enrolled in a Department of Housing and Urban Development VA Supportive housing program.
Thousands of housing vouchers for veterans went unused last year, hurting efforts to end homelessness
Officials say staff shortages, rising rent costs are limiting how quickly payouts can be distributed.
By Leo Shane III'
The inspector general concluded that Veterans Health Administration officials, who were part of the Connected Care program, made a good faith effort to help veterans get smartphones. But they found there was a “lack of information for officials to be able to determine the quantity needed for the targeted veteran population.”
The inspector general recommended improvements in the storage of smartphones and tablets.
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/05/05/thousands-of-smartphones-purchased-by-va-went-unused/
