Following the introduction of the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (“HEROES Act”), the National Alliance of Safety-Net Hospitals wrote to congressional leaders to ask for six specific policy initiatives in the next COVID-19 legislation:

• Direct an additional $100 billion to hospitals.
• Prevent finalization of the Medicaid fiscal account accountability regulation (MFAR).
• Increase the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), the rate at which the federal government matches state Medicaid spending.
• Increase states’ Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments 2.5 percent.
• Delay implementation of Affordable Care Act-mandated cuts in state Medicaid DSH allotments, which are scheduled to take effect on December 1.
• Reduce interest rates and lengthen the payback period for money provided to hospitals by the states through the CARES Act’s Accelerated and Advance Payment Program.

See NASH’s letter on behalf of private safety-net hospitals here.