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Action needed:
Call or email your U.S. representative and urge them to co-sponsor the bipartisan Provider Relief Fund Improvement Act (H.R. 5963), which would allow hospitals and health systems to quickly access remaining funds from the Provider Relief Fund and expand flexibility for how and when the funds can be used.
Find your representative’s contact information via this online directory.
- House Democrats should email nicholas.widmyer@mail.house.gov in Rep. Spanberger’s office.
- House Republicans should email max.siwik@mail.house.gov in Rep. Gonzalez’s office.
Timing:
Call or email your representative TODAY. Because the end of the congressional legislative session is near, timing is critical. Please contact your representative by Dec. 8.
Resources:
CHA’s support letter to the California congressional delegation may be used as a template for members’ outreach.
Background:
California’s hospitals continue to incur significant COVID-19-related expenses that have not been covered by the Provider Relief Fund. All told, the state’s hospitals lost an estimated $8 billion in 2020 (after factoring in federal relief) and are projected to lose another $2 billion in 2021. Making matters worse, because of the upcoming reporting deadline, some hospitals may be required to return funds by Dec. 30 that they may ultimately need. This, while more than $26.8 billion in relief funds remains unspent.
Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Cindy Axne (D-IA), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) have introduced the Provider Relief Fund Improvement Act (H.R. 5963) to extend the time for hospitals to use Provider Relief Funds. This crucial legislation also requires the distribution of any remaining funds by March 31, 2022. Importantly for California, the time period covered under this distribution would include expenses resulting from the delta variant surge.
Urge your representative to co-sponsor the Provider Relief Fund Improvement Act. This important legislation will give California’s hospitals access to urgently needed Provider Relief Funds.