In an April 10 letter, America’s Essential Hospitals continued calls for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide rapid financial relief and support for essential hospitals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The association expressed concerns about the agency’s decision to disburse $30 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to providers based on share of Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements. This approach might disadvantages some providers, such as essential hospitals, with below-average Medicare volumes and disproportionately high Medicaid and low-income volumes.
The letter detailed the significant efforts essential hospitals have made to test all patients in need, provide appropriate treatment, and continue to successfully mitigate the spread of the virus, as well as the challenges our member hospitals continue to face. In addition, the association suggested general metrics HHS can use to identify and target providers serving Medicaid and low-income patient populations.
America’s Essential Hospitals also issued a press statement urging HHS to ensure subsequent funds support essential hospitals.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the outbreak.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.