LINCOLN - The Nebraska state auditor found reason to question whether the state received nearly 400,000 COVID-19 tests promised in a contract with the Utah-based company that operated TestNebraska.

Questions that arose over the tests were just one issue the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts found with the TestNebraska contract between the state and Nomi Health, according to a management letter released Wednesday, June 1.

The audit noted issues with documentation being provided and keeping contract language clear and unambiguous - both of which are issues that can increase the risk for loss or misuse of funds, according to the letter.

Nebraska was supposed to receive 1.2 million test kits according to the contract signed in April of 2020. However, the Department of Administrative Services, which handles state contracts, didn't have documentation proving the state received more than 803,000 of them.

No documents exist that can trace a list showing 1.23 million kits received to supporting documents, such as receipts. This led the auditor to question whether the state actually received nearly 397,000 kits - valued between $9.9 million and $12.9 million.

The Department of Administrative Services provided documentation that indicates the state received at least 995,900 kits and indicated there was a lack of packing slip documentation during the pandemic.

The department told teams receiving the kits about documentation procedures and expectations, which included filling out a form. However, DAS acknowledged some did not adhere to those expectations.

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