The Damage From Delays: Trump Administration Slow to Distribute COVID-19 Relief As Hospitals Forced to Furlough Workers

Publication

The Damage From Delays: Trump Administration Slow to Distribute COVID-19 Relief As Hospitals Forced to Furlough Workers

Abstract

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, on behalf of Ranking Member Gary Peters, issued a Minority Staff report about the impact of the Trump administration's failure to deliver funding to stabilize hospitals and the associated harm to hospitals as they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report finds that the rising costs associated with treating patients and the inability of hospitals to perform revenue-generating elective surgeries push hospitals toward insolvency. The report recommends that the Trump administration expedite the distribution of remaining funds to deliver emergency funding relief promptly, allocating additional disbursements to COVID-19 hot spots and rural and safety net hospitals. In addition, Congress should pass the additional $100 billion in the HEROES Act for the Provider Relief Fund so the Administration can implement the above recommendations.