Helping Hospitals in Need Act

Bill: 116-hr-6605
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
Introduced: 2020-04-23
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health programs administration and funding

Hospital care

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medicaid

Medicare
Latest action: action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-04-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Helping Hospitals in Need Act</b></p> <p>This bill provides additional appropriations for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for (1) hospitals and health care providers that serve a high proportion of uninsured or low-income patients, and (2) states and territories that have the highest per capita hospitalization rates for confirmed cases of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6605 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 23, 2020 Mrs. Hayes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations A BILL To provide additional amounts to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Hospitals in Need Act . 2. Additional funding for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (a) Additional appropriation There is hereby appropriated, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $100,000,000,000 for an additional amount for Department of Health and Human Services—Office of the Secretary—Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund , to be merged with amounts made available to such account by division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( Public Law 116–136 ). (b) Purposes of funds The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall seek to obligate and expend the amount appropriated by subsection (a) in a manner that prioritizes funding for— (1) hospitals and health care providers that the Secretary determines serve a high proportion of uninsured or low income patients, including based on— (A) whether the hospital has received disproportionate share hospital payments under section 1886(r) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395ww ) with respect to fiscal year 2019; (B) whether the hospital has received disproportionate share hospital payments under section 1925 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396r–6 ) with respect to fiscal year 2019; and (C) any other factors specified by the Secretary, including whether the hospital is identified as a safety-net hospital by the National Academy of Medicine; and (2) States, including the District of Columbia and the territories or possessions of the United States, that the Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, determines to have the highest per capita hospitalization rates for confirmed cases of COVID–19.