WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced that rural specialty hospitals and safety net hospitals are receiving $141 million in coronavirus relief payments from the Department of Health and Hospitals (HHS).
Safety nets are receiving $88 million, and rural specialty hospitals are receiving $53 million. The combined total is the second-highest amount any state is receiving. The funding is part of a $4 billion relief package released this week by HHS.
“Rural and safety net hospitals provide essential health services to vulnerable communities. This funding is needed so that they can continue treating Covid-19 patients and saving lives,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“We’ve been distributing the Provider Relief Funds as quickly as possible to those providers who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “President Trump is supporting hospitals in continuing to provide COVID-19 care and returning to everyday procedures, especially hospitals that serve vulnerable and minority populations. Close work with stakeholders informed how we targeted this new round of funds to hard-hit safety-net and rural providers.”
HHS has not released which facilities in Louisiana are receiving payments.
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