ANCOR Joins Letter Asking Congress for Support on HHS Emergency Funds Issues

ANCOR and five other provider associations sent a letter to Congressional leadership highlighting two major concerns surrounding Medicaid funding during the pandemic. These are:

1. That congressional offices have an exaggerated impression of the beneficial effects of Paycheck Protection Program loans and the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund’s disbursements, which is leading to decreased support for additional funding in upcoming legislative efforts. The letter stresses that while these programs are beneficial, they are not a substitute for dedicated funding for the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Program.
2. Misinformation, technical challenges and lack of flexibility from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) around the Emergency Fund application process make the July 20 deadline unrealistic. The letter asks Congress to pressure HHS to extend the deadline.

The letter concludes:

“While we are asking for HHS funding to be increased and the HHS rollout to be expanded, that is not enough without additional HCBS funding. The need for dedicated HCBS funding in the next COVID‐19 package is abundantly clear. We know that we must act now to prevent much of the worst impact of the pandemic, and we are grateful for the prompt action so far taken. But we urge the Senate to address the unfinished business discussed in this letter.”