DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness today released a new special report that reviews federal and state legislation concerning pharmacists’ provider status and shows that Delaware is one of only 13 states yet to pass reimbursement and provider status legislation.

“Pharmacists have been long on the frontlines of healthcare, which has become more obvious since the pandemic,” said McGuiness, who is a licensed immunizing pharmacist and small-business owner. “And despite widespread support, pharmacies across the country are affected by antiquated models that ask pharmacists to do more with less.”

McGuiness’ new special report, “Strengthening our Frontlines,” looks at current physician shortages and existing problems with access to care within the First State. At the beginning of the COVID-19 state of emergency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services expanded the scope of authority for licensed pharmacists to order and administer select COVID-19 treatments, such as oral anti-viral medications.

“Pharmacists work alongside fellow healthcare heroes to develop protocols, administer vaccinations, establish and operate testing clinics, and provide curbside delivery for pre-pandemic health maintenance,” McGuiness said. “It is time for Delaware’s General Assembly to institute lasting changes to pharmacists’ scope of authority.”

Read the new special report, “Strengthening our Frontlines: Securing Provider Status for Delaware’s Pharmacists,” here.

About the Delaware State Auditor

The Delaware State Auditor serves Delawareans by providing independent objective oversight of the state government’s use of taxpayer dollars with the goal of deterring fraud, waste and abuse through unbiased assessments, including the use of various audits, special reports, and investigations of financial operations designed to ensure statutory compliance while enhancing governmental economy, efficiency and effectiveness. For more information, visit the website, and connect with the office on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram. 

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Contact:       

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

302-857-3907

Anna.Nuzzolese@delaware.gov

Auditor McGuiness Announces Creation of a National Unemployment Insurance Audit Template

DOVER, DEL. –State Auditor Kathy McGuiness today announced the creation of a national unemployment insurance audit template developed as part of a multi-agency effort. While some states have already begun audits related to unemployment insurance, this template seeks to serve as a framework so other states can easily identify issues and recommend best practices.

“Many states have already painted a detailed picture of the fraud that targeted their unemployment insurance system,” McGuiness said. “Our goal is to incite broader participation so as to paint an overarching picture of the vulnerabilities that exist in unemployment insurance systems throughout the country.”

Delaware collaborated with the Office of the D.C. Auditor, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office and the Idaho Legislative Audit Division to create this uniform framework.

“My office values collaboration with other state auditors on topics of ongoing importance and interest,” said D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson. “The unemployment audit template is useful in focusing on relevant data and data accuracy, so it has value for future audits and even for offices not participating in this study today.”

When unemployment peaked at 14.8 percent in April 2020, unemployment insurance systems faced an overwhelming wave of claims. States struggled to keep up due to previous budget cuts and old, inefficient systems. 

“The surge of claims resulted in vulnerabilities surfacing in each and every state’s unemployment insurance system,” McGuiness said. “Identifying and understanding existing vulnerabilities allows us to reduce fraud, waste and abuse and improve unemployment systems to better serve the public.”

Learn more about the Delaware Office of the Auditor of Accounts online at https://auditor.delaware.gov. 

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Contact:        

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

Anna.nuzzolese@delaware.gov

302-857-3907

DOVER, Del. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness said today that Delaware is among states nationwide that will file their Annual Financial Comprehensive Report (ACFR) later than the traditional Dec. 31 filing date.

“Nationally, there are multiple reasons states are filing their ACFRs later this year,” McGuiness said. “One main reason is that COVID relief funding disbursed by the federal government resulted in additional workloads on some state agencies without additional resources or personnel being provided to them.

“That’s the case here in Delaware, which received over $1 billion in COVID relief funding in fiscal year 2021,” McGuiness continued. “As government officials grappled with how to handle and properly distribute this massive amount of COVID relief money, their focus was necessarily on providing support for the COVID-related programs that were put into place, which impacted their ability to provide timely year-end financial reporting data.”

The ACFR, formerly known as the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), is a far-reaching annual review of the State of Delaware’s finances. More than 40 state agencies’ finances are examined, and the results act as a kind of fiscal report card for the state. ACFR results are one factor used by bond rating agencies such as Moody’s to determine Delaware’s bond rating, which is currently AAA, the highest rating possible.

Delaware’s ACFR audit work is performed by national CPA firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP on behalf of the Office of Auditor of Accounts. 

McGuiness said the extenuating circumstances that led to this year’s need for an extension are unfortunate but that she and CliftonLarsonAllen staff continue to push for a resolution so that Delaware’s bond rating is not affected. There is no negative impact to extending the release to January.

“When it comes to evaluating Delaware’s standing in the financial marketplace, there is no document more important than the ACFR,” McGuiness said. “I have confidence that these outstanding financial statements will be reconciled quickly and effectively, and the State of Delaware will be able to file its ACFR in January.”

Learn about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at auditor.delaware.gov.

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Contact:       

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

302-857-3907

Anna.Nuzzolese@delaware.gov

DOVER, DEL. – State Auditor Kathy McGuiness estimates the state’s volunteer fire service saved Delaware taxpayers nearly $255.7 million in fiscal year 2021.

“Delaware’s fire service is, and always has been, a tremendous asset to Delawareans,” McGuiness said. “As my team does every year, they performed a detailed cost analysis and identified what it would cost taxpayers to have an entirely state-employed fire service instead of having mostly volunteers.”

While the state has no plans to transform Delaware’s combination system into an entirely state-employed one, McGuiness’ office performs these calculations annually to show the fiscal value of having dedicated volunteer firefighters and EMTs.

“If the state were to have a fully state-employed fire service, it would cost Delawareans an exorbitant amount in property taxes,” McGuiness said. “For every $1,000 of a home’s assessed value, those residents would pay an additional $10.51. That means for a home assessed at $100,000, it would cost those residents an additional $1,051 in property taxes each year – just to support a fully state-employed fire service.”

McGuiness again recommends in this year’s report that the General Assembly consider creating a fund independent of Grant-In-Aid in the state budget to help pay for fire services.

“It takes adequate training, funding and resources to protect the public,” McGuiness continued. “To keep pace with call volume, career and volunteer fire service members need our support in ensuring proper funding to continue the long-standing and proud tradition the fire service has in Delaware.”

Read the Delaware Volunteer Fire Service Report by clicking here. Learn more about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

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Contact:        

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

Anna.nuzzolese@delaware.gov

302-857-3907

DOVER, DEL. – The Delaware State Auditor’s Office has been ranked No. 2 on the list of Top 6 Agencies with Reports on Oversight.gov.

“My office works diligently, with a fixed determination, to provide independent, objective oversight of the state government’s use of taxpayer dollars,” Auditor Kathy McGuiness said. “It is a proud moment when you see the difference your efforts have made. I’m excited to keep with this momentum and continue serving the great State of Delaware.”

Alongside the Delaware Auditor’s Office, the top six agencies are Oregon’s Secretary of State (Audits Division), Indiana Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Office of the Inspector General, Arlington County Auditor, and Florida’s Office of the Chief Inspector General. Collectively, a total of 381 reports have been submitted, with Delaware’s Auditor’s Office accounting for 115 of those reports.

“Since the inception of the Oversight.gov State/Local page, the Delaware State Auditor has been one of our most active participants,” said spokesperson Shiji Thomas of the National Science Foundation Office of the Inspector General, who oversees the project. “Kathy McGuiness and her team provided critical support right from the start. Through the development and pilot phases, McGuiness’ team worked closely with the Oversight.gov team to make the page a reality.

“We are grateful for the contributions the Delaware State Auditor has made for the Oversight community.”

Oversight.gov is a website that contains publicly accessible reports, investigations and recommendations from state and local inspection offices. The site is managed by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency and is frequently updated by the Inspector Generals.

You can discover local and state offices’ recent data, trending reports and summaries at oversight.gov.

Learn more about the Delaware Auditor’s Office at https://auditor.delaware.gov.

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Contact:        

Anna Nuzzolese, Executive Assistant

Anna.nuzzolese@delaware.gov

302-857-3907