{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-urges-hhs-to-preserve-healthcare-providers-rural-hospital-access-to-pandemic-relief-funding", "Manchin Urges HHS To Preserve Healthcare Providers, Rural Hospital Access To Pandemic Relief Funding", "2020-10-13", "2020", "2020-10", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 13, 2020\n\t\t\t Manchin Urges HHS To Preserve Healthcare Providers, Rural Hospital Access To Pandemic Relief Funding \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCharleston,\r\nWV  U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) led two groups of bipartisan Senators in\r\nexpressing concern to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)\r\nSecretary Alex Azar about the recent change in reporting requirements for\r\nhospitals and health systems that receive relief funds from the Provider Relief\r\nFund (PRF) and urged the Administration to protect access to this vital\r\nfunding. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve high numbers of low-income,\r\nelderly, and severely ill patients  could be particularly burdened by the new\r\nreporting requirements, due to their already thin financial margins. Senator\r\nManchin said in part,\r\nIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our health care providers need more\r\ncertainty, not less. The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, established the PRF\r\nto reimburse eligible health care providers for health care-related expenses\r\nand lost revenues attributable to the coronavirus. Hospitals and other\r\nproviders received funds and have budgeted accordingly. However, we are still\r\nin the midst of a pandemic and providers continue to face uncertainty in terms\r\nof loss of revenue from delayed procedures and care as well as increased\r\nexpenses related to COVID-19. Senator\r\nManchin also stated,\r\nWe have heard from hospitals and health systems in our states who are\r\nconcerned that this change in the definition of lost revenue will force them to\r\nreturn funds to HHS that they have received from the PRF. In particular, rural\r\nhospitals and those that serve high numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely\r\nill patientswhich already operate on thin financial marginsmay be especially\r\nimpacted by this change. HHS released initial reporting requirements in June for providers\r\nreceiving PRF funds that directed these entities to define lost revenue as any\r\nrevenue that you as a health care provider lost due to coronavirus,  but HHS\r\nreleased updated reporting requirements on September 19 that\r\ndirected providers to instead use changes in their net operating income to\r\ncalculate lost revenue  a substantial change from the initial June guidance\r\nthat is expected to reduce the amount of lost revenues that providers are able\r\nto report. This shift in reporting requirements changes the terms of the relief\r\nas hospitals and health systems initially understood them and will likely\r\ncreate further uncertainty for providers at a time when they are already facing\r\nserious financial challenges. To\r\nview the first letter to Secretary Azar, please click\r\nhere. To\r\nview the second letter to Secretary Azar, please click\r\nhere.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-urges-hhs-to-preserve-healthcare-providers-rural-hospital-access-to-pandemic-relief-funding"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9196111932396889, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}