Bipartisan congressional leaders ask HHS to clarify plan for distributing additional relief funds

Jun 03, 2020 - 04:03 PM
COVID19 Web Sized

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
FDA seeks feedback on measuring AI-enabled medical device performance
The Food and Drug Administration today issued a request for public comment on a series of questions regarding current approaches to evaluating artificial…
Headline
Olympus recalls endoscope needles
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday announced that Olympus issued a global recall of its ViziShot 2 FLEX needles manufactured prior to May 12 following…
Headline
ACIP recommends patients consult their provider for COVID-19 vaccine
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Sept. 19 recommended that patients should consult their health care provider if they want to receive a COVID-…
Headline
HHS announces efforts to improve long COVID care 
The Department of Health and Human Services Sept. 18 announced it will take new actions to help improve care for individuals with long COVID. They include a…
Headline
Bipartisan letter urges House leadership to halt Medicaid DSH cuts
A bipartisan House letter by Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., Gus M. Bilirakis, R-Fla., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., urged House…
Headline
FDA issues serious recall for electric wheelchair joysticks
The Food and Drug Administration has identified a Class I recall for Mo-Vis BVBA R-net Joysticks due to a firmware error that causes the wheelchair to ignore…