Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Finance committees today asked Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to clarify by June 10 the agency’s plan and timeline for disbursing COVID-19 emergency relief funds to Medicaid-dependent providers.

“As the chairs and ranking members of the committees of jurisdiction over the Medicaid program, we are concerned that the delay in disbursing funds from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for Medicaid-dependent providers could result in long term financial hardship for providers who serve some of our most vulnerable populations,” wrote Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., and Ranking Member Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore. “It could also severely hamper their ability to continue to serve as essential providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

AHA yesterday urged HHS to quickly distribute additional emergency funds to all hospitals, including hospitals serving high numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients, among other recommendations.

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA has released several resources that can be used to educate members of Congress and community stakeholders about the potential effects of harmful cuts…
Perspective
Public
The House Energy & Commerce Committee in just over a week is expected to mark up its portion of the budget reconciliation bill to enact key pieces of…
Headline
A study published April 28 by Health Affairs Scholar found low-income adults living in states with Medicaid expansion experienced an average 9.5% relative…
Headline
The AHA April 30 released a report highlighting how hospitals and health systems continue to experience significant financial headwinds that can challenge…
News
The AHA April 29 urged majority and minority leaders in both the Senate and House to not make disruptive policy changes to Medicaid and other coverage options…
Headline
A study published April 8 by the Public Library of Science’s Journal of Global Public Health found that driving while infected with COVID-19 raises the risk of…