WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and bipartisan group of Senators urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize the needs of rural hospitals and hospitals with high percentages of Medicaid and Medicare patients as HHS distributes the $100 billion health care fund included in the CARES Act.
“I’ve heard directly from rural hospitals across Arizona struggling during this public health crisis. Ensuring rural health providers get critical funding from the CARES Act will help our rural hospitals keep their doors open and help save lives,” said Sinema.
Last year, rural hospital closures hit a record high. With the loss of elective procedures, rural Arizona health providers have lost up to 80% of their revenue. It is critical they receive CARES Act funding to keep their doors open and care for Arizonans.
Sinema recently urged immediate implementation of the CARES Act law to ensure that rural providers and hospitals receive the relief they need to keep their doors open and continue serving rural and underserved communities in Arizona. She helped introduce new legislation, the Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act, to extend financial lifelines to rural hospitals and providers. Sinema also recently hosted a called with rural Arizona health care providers to discuss available coronavirus relief and thank them for their service during this public health crisis.
Sinema has a resources page on her website, www.sinema.senate.gov/corona, for Arizonans looking for updated information in English and Spanish on the coronavirus.
