Congressional Leaders Unveil Year-end Package with COVID-19 Relief and Spending Provisions

At a Glance

House and Senate leaders late yesterday announced an agreement on a roughly $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that includes a number of provisions beneficial to hospitals and health systems. They also agreed on a roughly $1.4 trillion spending package that would fund the federal government for fiscal year 2021.

The COVID-19 relief and omnibus spending bill are combined into one package, and legislative language was released this afternoon. The House is expected to vote on the package as soon as today, and the Senate is expected to take it up soon afterward.

Based on an initial review of the legislation, the following are highlights of provisions included – and not included – in the package that affect hospitals and health systems. AHA staff continue to review the legislative language and members will receive an additional Special Bulletin with more details.