Money

Legislation delaying the repayment of funds that helped healthcare providers, including those in the home care field, through the coronavirus public health emergency is now before Congress.

On Wednesday, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced the Provider Relief Fund Deadline Extension Act, which would delay repayment of government relief monies until the end of this year.

“Because of budget constraints and other factors, many hospitals and providers, especially in rural areas, struggled prior to the pandemic,” Bennet said. “Now, they face the possibility of having to pay back much-needed funds before they are out of the woods. We need to extend the payback deadline to ensure hospitals and providers can adequately serve their communities as we work to bring this pandemic to an end.” 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $178 billion to healthcare providers, following the passage last year of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.  HHS abruptly announced guidance that unused funds had to be returned by the end of last month.

Bennet and Cramer said many providers, especially those in small communities or rural areas, have been managing the funds to ensure the money will cover their COVID-19 needs beyond a year. They pointed out the rapidly spreading Delta variant continues to put a financial strain on healthcare providers.

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This article originally appeared on McKnight's Senior Living