AHA responds to article on hospitals finances and COVID-19 relief

Responding to a New York Times article about hospital finances and COVID-19 relief, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said the article "tells a misleading story” about COVID-19 funding for hospitals and health systems and the “lifeline” integration was able to offer hospitals struggling to navigate the pandemic.   
  
“The first priority in the initial distribution was to get funding out quickly; the hospital field did not choose the formula,” Pollack notes. “Subsequent allocations were more targeted, and these funds were especially crucial for smaller, standalone hospitals that were not able to benefit from the resources of a larger system. Providers are held accountable for every penny of these funds under law and there will be a reporting and auditing process once the pandemic ends. Funding that goes beyond the uses Congress specified will be returned. ...The move toward integrated care was an important way to keep care available in local communities and was underway well before COVID-19. But the challenges of the pandemic also led some hospitals in some communities to join integrated systems to remain financially stable.” 

See Pollack’s full statement that was shared with the media on Saturday.