It seemed impossible, but Republicans and Democrats have finally found a coronavirus campaign they can both support. A group of 91 congressmen – 46 Republicans and 45 Democrats – sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan ahead of the July 4 weekend, urging officials to ensure that children’s hospitals are well-funded over time. coronavirus pandemic. Like many other medical facilities, children’s hospitals have largely been forced to stop elective surgeries.
So while members of Congress are grateful to the administration for its work distributing CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program funds, they are insistence HHS to focus its efforts on children now. In their letter, they request an additional allocation for children’s hospitals from remaining relief funds already allocated by Congress.
We appreciate your efforts, but we remain concerned about the level of funding children’s hospitals receive. To date, the Department has focused on allocations to unique and vulnerable groups, such as rural and high-impact providers. However, children’s hospitals did not receive assistance comparable to other categories of health care providers.
In accordance with state and federal guidelines, children’s hospitals have played an integral role in the fight against Covid-19 by providing testing services, canceling non-essential services, transforming facilities to care for pediatric and adult patients with Covid-19, and absorbing the rising costs of protective equipment personal and other critical materials. As a result, U.S. children’s hospitals have seen revenue decline by more than 40% and losses of approximately $2 billion per month.
Therefore, we respectfully request an additional allocation for children’s hospitals from the remaining relief funds already appropriated by Congress. Children’s hospitals in our communities are the pediatric health care safety net, providing lifesaving care, conducting groundbreaking research and working together to fight Covid-19. Providing them with an additional allocation from PHSSEF will ensure the continued safety of our children, families and communities.
You can read the entire letter and dozens of signatures, Here.
The campaign to fund children’s hospitals also has bipartisan support in the Senate, led by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (United States).
“Many children’s hospitals have had to resort to furloughs and layoffs as they prepare for a possible surge in Covid-19 patients or more complex cases as a result of deferred care,” senators to write. “Unlike adults, deferred care for children is not “optional.” Deferred care may include orthopedic surgery to straighten the spine or major cardiac surgery.
The co-signatories of the letter are: Sens. Cory Gardner (Colo.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Mitt Romney (Utah), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). ), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Pat Roberts ( R-Kan.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), David Purdue (R-Ga.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Boozman (R-Ark. ), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Hawaii), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) , John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-Ill.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
