Second round of emergency medical provider funds delayed – By Lauren Clason (Roll Call) / April 16 2020
HHS secretary tells House Appropriations panel the distributions could take another week and a half to calculate
A second wave of emergency funds that Congress directed to medical providers appears to be delayed, after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told the House Appropriations Committee the distributions could take another week and a half to calculate.
Azar’s projection follows Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma’s remarks to reporters Wednesday that the second batch would be distributed this week. Verma declined to share specifics on what formula the department is using to divvy up the funds.
House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., revealed the delay in a letter to Azar Thursday after a phone call the secretary held with committee members. HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan previously told DeLauro and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., on April 6 that the department was aiming to calculate the second round of funds within seven to 10 days.
A CMS spokesperson declined to comment. HHS did not return a request for comment.
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The money is part of a $100 billion emergency fund appropriated for medical providers in the $1.8 trillion economic aid package enacted last month. CMS sent an initial wave of $30 billion to providers based on their Medicare fee-for-service revenue last week, prompting urging from lawmakers and hospital groups for more money to struggling hospitals that rely on Medicaid or have high rates of uncompensated care. The formula also excluded revenue from Medicare Advantage private plans, which cover roughly one-third of Medicare enrollees.
“This is unacceptable and unfair to the hot spots, like my home state of Connecticut, that were disproportionately harmed by the first tranche formula, given the state has substantial enrollment in Medicare Advantage,” DeLauro wrote.
Continue to article: https://www.rollcall.com/2020/04/16/second-round-of-emergency-medical-provider-funds-delayed/
