Loeffler Seeks to Provide Relief for Rural Georgia Hospitals

Cosponsors Legislation Providing Aid to Health Care Professionals Impacted by COVID-19

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) cosponsored the Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act of 2020 to assist rural hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak.
 
Georgia’s rural health care system has been under significant strain after losing at least seven rural hospitals in the last 10 years. This legislation would deliver desperately needed relief. The Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act seeks to bolster rural hospitals throughout the country by providing aid to address the overwhelming demand brought on by COVID-19 and keep their doors open. By establishing emergency grants and Small Business Administration loans for facilities that are impacted by the outbreak and were already experiencing financial challenges beforehand, this bill seeks to provide reassurance to these critical facilities.
  
“Nearly one in five Georgians live in a rural area,” Loeffler said. “Right now, everyone is feeling the impacts of COVID-19, especially in rural communities. People are worried about getting sick,  health providers are under an incredible pressure on the front lines, and our hospitals are beyond strained for capacity and resources. This legislation will ensure Georgians have access to medical care close to home and allow rural hospitals to continue to serve patients and keep their doors open during this pandemic and beyond.”
 
The Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act would:

• Provide Immediate Relief for Rural Hospitals with an emergency mandatory one-time grant to Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals equaling $1,000 per patient day for three months.
• Provide Stabilization for Rural Hospitals with a one-time, emergency grant for CAH and rural PPS hospitals equaling the total reimbursement received for services for three months to stabilize the loss of revenue.
• Encourage Hospital Coordination with a 20% increase in Medicare reimbursement for any patient in a rural hospital using a swing bed to incentivize freeing up capacity for post-acute care services.
• Provide Stabilization and Relief for Providers with an emergency, one-time grant for al small health care providers and ambulatory surgery centers equal to their total payroll from January 1 - April 1, 2019.
• Provide Funding for Physicians and Providers by authorizing the Small Business Administration to provide low interest loans to providers and ambulatory surgery centers at a 0.25% interest rate that will not accrue until two years after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.