Statement on CMS’ Expansion of its Payment Program During COVID-19

Statement on CMS’ Expansion of its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program During the COVID-19 Emergency

By Blair Childs, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Keeping hospitals and other healthcare providers’ doors open, fully staffed with clinicians and stocked with the supplies needed to care for their patients during this deadly outbreak should be mission #1 for the federal government. Premier applauds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for taking action today to expand the accelerated and advanced payment program and giving healthcare providers an avenue to receive Medicare payment immediately. This will mitigate the financial stress hospitals and other providers are under due to significant declines in revenue from cancelled procedures and other programs as well as the financial costs of caring for COVID-19 patients. We remain concerned, however that providers will face difficulty with full repayment and look forward to working with the Administration to determine how funding available through the CARES act can be used to reduce or eliminate this obligation.