March 19, 2024

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AHA asks for $25 billion as HHS releases $2 billion in provider relief funds

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As the American Clinic Association seeks at least $25 billion for hospitals to help combat workforce shortages and labor charges exacerbated by what the AHA called “exorbitant” costs on the portion of some staffing businesses, the Section of Wellbeing and Human Solutions has produced $2 billion in more funding for hospitals.

The Overall health Means and Companies Administration is generating much more than $2 billion in Service provider Relief Fund Section 4 Standard Distribution payments to more than 7,600 companies across the region this 7 days, HHS said, releasing the statement Tuesday as the AHA held a press simply call with hospital CEOs.

The AHA wants the remaining provider reduction money to be introduced and to increase $25 billion to the fund, President and CEO Rick Pollack explained, citing a January 20 letter to Congress in which the ask for was built. 

The AHA is also urging the Federal Trade Commission to look into studies of anticompetitive pricing by nurse staffing organizations. Selling price improves are two-to-a few instances much more than they have been prior to the pandemic, Pollack reported, adding that there are studies that some of the companies are maintaining the extra income, which include up to a lot more than 30%.

In a November 2021 letter to Jeffrey Zients, COVID-19 Response Crew Coordinator, Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Invoice Cassidy, R-La., and Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and David McKinley, R- W.Va., urged the White Dwelling to enlist federal businesses to investigate selling price gouging by nurse staffing agencies.

The AHA has asked Congress to guidance hospitals and caregivers in will have to-pass laws to fund the authorities further than Feb. 18. Other requests are to   extend Medicare sequester reduction give hospitals extra time to repay accelerated and progress Medicare payments and offer aid to selected 340B hospitals so they can stay suitable for the software.

WHY THIS Issues

Hospital CEOs who spoke Tuesday are Wright Lassiter, president and CEO of the Henry Ford Overall health Program, Detroit, who is the 2022 chair of the AHA Board of Trustees Bruce Flanz, president and CEO, MediSys Wellness Community, Queens, New York and Ruby Kirby, CEO, West Tennessee Health care Bolivar and Camden Hospitals.

All stated their hospitals are underneath anxiety from workforce shortages, increased labor expenditures, source chain shortages, standard inflation and reduction of revenue from basic treatments set on hold thanks to COVID-19 and absence of staffing.

“We have delayed about 400 treatments around 30 days thanks to lack of staffing,” Lassister stated. None were being delayed on Tuesday morning, he included.

Lassiter explained Henry Ford is viewing a decrease in COVID-19 scenarios, but this is not a induce for celebration when 25-35% of ICU beds are focused to COVID-19 treatment and there has been a 600% enhance in personnel requesting staff assistant method assistance. Tuesday morning, 75 beds had been closed due to staffing fears as far more than 300 workers were being out of get the job done thanks to publicity or a constructive exam. 10 days in the past that amount was 589, he claimed.

Flanz said the number of instances in Queens, the epicenter for the pandemic when it started, is also “headed in the proper direction.”

Kirby mentioned that rural communities won’t be able to take benefit of some of the federal and state resources mainly because they you should not meet up with the threshold for this kind of help as staffing from the National Guard.

THE Larger Trend

The Health and fitness Methods and Products and services Administration is building more than $2 billion in Service provider Relief Fund Stage 4 Standard Distribution payments to much more than 7,600 companies throughout the nation this week, HHS claimed.  A overall of practically $11 billion in PRF Section 4 payments, which include Tuesday’s $2 billion, has now been distributed to additional than 74,000 vendors in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and 5 territories.

These payments appear on the heels of the almost $9 billion in funding that was presently released by HHS in December 2021 and American Rescue Prepare rural payments totaling approximately $7.5 billion in funding to additional than 43,000 suppliers.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
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