Taxpayers Targeted by COVID-19 Test Kit Fraud in Final Hours of Pandemic Health Emergency; Report Cards Reveal Poor Grades During COVID-19 Lockdown, and other C-Virus related stories

Taxpayers targeted by COVID-19 test kit fraud in final hours of pandemic health emergency{

When Mike Boyles discovered an envelope with eight COVID-19 tests in his mailbox, his initial reaction was to be suspicious.

“I didn’t order them. They just came out of nowhere,” the Indianapolis retiree told 13 Investigates.

A day later, another package arrived with eight more COVID-19 tests produced by a different manufacturer. And a week after that, a third package showed up at Boyles’ southeast side home with eight more tests from yet another company.

Inside the packages was a notice stating that the test kits were provided free of charge through Medicare. Despite not being billed for the three packages, Boyles contacted 13 Investigates to express his concern.

“I’m worried,” he said, looking at 24 test kits that he did not request spread out on his kitchen table. “I’m a little skeptical of anything that’s free. Somebody somewhere has to pay for it.”

Boyles is right, according to Indiana’s Senior Medicare Patrol office, which tracks cases of Medicare fraud.

“You and I are paying for them,” explained Indiana SMP director Nancy Moore, adding that everyone should be suspicious of COVID-19 test kits that they did not request.

“It’s definitely not the way it’s supposed to work. Medicare does cover eight at-home COVID test kits per month. But you’re not supposed to get them unsolicited,” she said. “Every state has a Senior Medicare Patrol, and we’re all seeing upticks in this kind of fraud.” --->READ MORE HERE

Report cards reveal poor grades during COVID-19 lockdown:

Researchers looked at students who were in the third through eighth grades during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The data showing kids fell behind significantly in reading and math. Thomas Kane is a Harvard University Professor of education and economics.

He said "Nationally, students lost about half a year learning and math in about a quarter of a year, learning and reading. But the important thing is there were some communities, especially high poverty communities, that lost a lot more like a year or a year and a half worth of learning."

He says New York City public school students fared worse than students in many other parts of the country.

"In New York City. The losses in eighth-grade math, for instance, were the equivalent of almost a whole year's worth of learning."

— Thomas Kane

Professor Kane says catching up in just one school year would be impossible.

He says after-school tutoring and summer school are essential.

New York City did launch a Summer school program called summer rising in 2021. --->READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:

Many Americans Have Moved On From Covid. She’s Trying.

NYC has recovered 99% of lost pandemic jobs, gains uneven across economy

USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates

WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates

YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates

NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest

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