AHA and ANA urge Congress to provide additional support to hospitals, health systems and front-line caregivers responding to COVID-19

The AHA and American Nurses Association today urged Congress to “act quickly to get needed resources into the health care system,” so that hospitals, nurses and physicians responding to COVID-19 are able to continue to provide treatments, front-line health care personnel are able to provide care and patients are able access health care services.

The groups urged Congress to provide additional funding to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which was enacted to cover expenses for health care providers for preparing and responding to COVID-19 that are otherwise not covered such as lost revenue, and establish a separate fund for health care heroes to support essential front-line workers, including nurses and physicians, both during and after the crisis. They also urged Congress to take additional actions to support access to care, rural communities and the uninsured.