Rural Issue

Lawmakers urge release of rural hospital CARES funds

More than 120 members of Congress are asking the Health and Human Services Secretary in a letter to immediately provide financial relief to rural hospitals, saying many are just days away from going broke.

Emergency funding for rural hospitals is part of the CARES act passed by Congress and signed by the president last week.

The lawmakers say many rural hospitals have stopped performing elective procedures and are no longer seeing non-urgent patients because of the  COVID-19 emergency but those actions threaten rural hospitals’ financial viability.

The 81 U.S. representatives and 41 senators are asking for a personal briefing by teleconference from Secretary Azar by April 3^rd.