Blog: Los Angeles Times article on federal relief for hospitals misses the mark

The AHA today continued its ongoing effort to speak out against misinformation about federal relief funding for hospitals, challenging an assertion by an article in the Los Angeles Times that billions in federal funds allocated during the COVID-19 public health emergency is “padding bottom lines at some of the country’s most profitable businesses,” hospitals and health systems included.

In a blog post refuting the article’s claims, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack wrote, “This financial crisis is a serious obstacle to keeping the doors open for many hospitals, which provide essential public services 24/7 to anyone who walks through the doors.”

He also wrote that “Congress on a bipartisan basis, and the Administration recognized the critical role hospitals play as the backbone of our health care system and took steps to ensure hospitals remain on the front lines of care.”