Washington, D.C. - United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led the Massachusetts delegation, including Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), William Keating (D-MA-09), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), in urging Congressional Leadership to provide additional funding for Massachusetts hospitals in the next coronavirus relief package as they continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In Massachusetts, our hospitals continue to be on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, treating patients, protecting their staff, and ensuring that the pandemic does not disrupt other essential care," the lawmakers wrote. "In return, they continue to need our support. The recently released proposal from Senate Republicans, which includes a mere $25 billion in additional funding for the Provider Relief Fund, is insufficient."
As hospitals continue to play an outsized role in the COVID-19 pandemic, they have suffered a serious financial toll. Hospitals continue to face higher operating costs as they take precautions to protect their patients and staff from infection, and while most hospitals have resumed preventative and elective procedures, the suspension of these procedures earlier this year cost hospitals millions of dollars per day, creating losses that will take years to recoup. The delegation called for an additional $100 billion for the Provider Relief Fund to alleviate this financial pressure and ensure that hospitals can continue to provide care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Hospitals and their staff have made heroic efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic, including by putting themselves at risk of infection in order to care for their patients," the lawmakers continue. "We owe it to them, and to our constituents who rely on these health care providers for exceptional medical care, to support their ongoing financial needs."
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Senator Warren has worked to ensure Massachusetts can get the help it needs -- including the Commonwealth's hospitals and health care providers. She called on congressional leadership to provide at least $77.3 billion for community health centers (CHCs) in stimulus packages. She urged the Trump Administration to take swift, specific action to support Massachusetts by providing personal protective equipment, expanding testing, providing supplemental funding and supporting wraparound services as the Commonwealth combats the spread of the coronavirus disease. She urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive all the traditional cost-share requirements for major disaster assistance.
