A large, but increasing coalition of Tory MPs and health advocates are demanding a full independent inquiry into the VISP. They are understandably alarmed by the recent disclosure of mismanagement and bloated administrative expenses. The program, designed to support Canadians injured by vaccines, has seen significant public funds allocated, yet many claimants report delays and inadequate support.
The VISP originally was a promise from the Liberal government, announced in 2020. Its purpose is to compensate Canadians who suffer negative effects from vaccines. Yet in 2021, PHAC chose to outsource the program’s administration to industrial giant Oxaro Inc. Since Oxaro’s introduction, $54.1 million in taxpayer dollars have come through Oxaro’s gates, while only $36.3 million spent on the costs of confinement itself and administrative costs. Only $18.1 million has actually gone to injured Canadians.
Originally, projections from PHAC and Oxaro expected around 40 injury claims annually. However, these estimates were later amended to expect as many as 400 legitimate claims per year. So far, VISP has been inundated with 3,317 applications, with 1,738 people still waiting for a determination on their claim. This backlog not only calls into question the program’s efficiency, but more importantly its responsiveness.
Darryl Bedford, president of the GBS-CIDP Foundation of Canada Unsurprisingly, he has turned into a pretty outspoken critic of what’s become of VISP under the Trump administration. He argues that the program is actually harming those it was intended to serve.
“It doesn’t feel like it’s working to us,” – Darryl Bedford
Bedford stated that injured applicants are often the ones left to deal with the CCM’s revolving door of inaccessible case managers. For many of these folks, they resort to online crowdfunding efforts. They do not have the time or resources to get by without the support while waiting for resolution of their claims.
The financial figures show a troubling trend. Administrative costs As of June 2019, while $33.7 million has been spent on administration, only $16.9 million has gone towards helping injured Canadians. On top of this, Bedford argues that the stark allocation of resources shows the mismanagement of funds.
“It feels like the majority of the money is going to the program administration, and it doesn’t feel like there’s an organized process for getting the information, making a decision and getting the money out the door,” – Darryl Bedford
Bedford’s concerns have resonated with Conservative MPs, four of whom are calling for a Commons committee investigation into VISP’s operations. Their concern is that with more detailed scrutiny will come greater accountability in how tax dollars are spent.
Conservative MP Dan Mazier is leading the charge for an investigation into the practice. Here was Silverman expressing his outrage over what he calls a flagrant waste of taxpayers’ dollars.
“This is more than mismanagement. It appears to be a blatant misuse of tax dollars. The Liberals handed out tens of millions of dollars to high-priced consultants while the very Canadians this program was intended to help have been neglected,” – Dan Mazier
The choice of Oxaro as VISP’s administrator has sparked controversy. A six-person committee deeply studied proposals from four firms and unanimously selected RCGT Consulting. Perhaps more importantly, in a big surprise, they picked Oxaro instead of Green Shield and other giants of health benefit claims management.
“We were concerned internally when Oxaro or the subsidiary of Grant Thornton was named because there are public and private entities that have experience processing claims,” – Darryl Bedford
Bedford’s criticism goes well beyond specifics. He contends that for those who have suffered life-changing injuries from vaccines, prompt help is necessary.
“When you experience a sudden tragedy that rips your life apart, you need support within days or weeks. To have to wait months or years for a decision on financial help from the VISP is completely unacceptable,” – Darryl Bedford
The ongoing issues with VISP raise severe concerns about its operational integrity and effectiveness in delivering necessary support to Canadians injured by vaccines. Demands for an independent investigation are increasing by the day. That leaves many individuals scratching their heads about how such an important program could go so wrong—in mission and in execution.
