In a letter to Acting Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Norris Cochran, America’s Essential Hospitals urged the swift allocation of the remaining funds in the $178 billion Provider Relief Fund (PRF), to help essential hospitals respond to the pandemic and lead vaccination efforts.
In addition to allocating the remaining funds, the association asked HHS to:
- issue another targeted distribution to hospitals omitted from the first two safety-net distributions, with a refined methodology that will ensure hospitals treating the underserved remain financially viable. Specifically, HHS should direct funds to hospitals that meet two of three metrics used in the second safety-net distribution or that are deemed disproportionate share hospitals; and
- ensure timely and transparent reporting and auditing processes that do not put providers in the untenable position of returning funds based on factors outside of their control.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
