AHA, AMA, ANA seek additional $100B in emergency relief funds

Is a letter to Senate leaders, the American Hospital Association, American Nurses Association and American Medical Association asked for additional relief funds as health care personnel continue to battle COVID-19 across the United States.

“Physicians, nurses, hospitals and health systems all across the country are incurring expenses due to sourcing and purchasing additional and potentially more expensive supplies and equipment, when available; standing up emergency operations centers; providing higher staffing levels and backfilling when necessary; providing housing and care for patients who do not require hospitalization but do not have housing in order to prevent spread of COVID-19; and construction or retrofitting facilities,” the letter said.

“Front line health care providers are experiencing significant financial losses due to the decrease of inpatient and outpatient services. In some communities where COVID-19 is spiking, hospitals again have stopped providing non-essential surgeries to ensure there is increased capacity for COVID-19 patients, resulting in additional significant financial loss. For outpatient providers, there continues to be decreased demand for services, and those offices and facilities that are open are scheduling fewer patients due to social distancing precautions while incurring higher expenses for scarce personal protective equipment and other supplies. This is causing severe financial stress on physicians, nurses, hospitals and health systems,” the letter continued.

Read the full letter here.