What Should We Expect from the COVID-19 Packages Congress is Currently Debating?

This might be an acrimonious week in Congress as Senate Republicans and House Democrats issued conflicting proposals for a third COVID-19 funding package. Currently, the Senate bill is stalled in the Senate after failing two cloture votes on Sunday and Monday, while the House bill was introduced late Monday.

ANCOR’s priorities for this legislation are to:

1. Obtain clarification that intellectual / developmental disability (I/DD) providers are included in language setting up an emergency fund for “care” providers. Currently, that language is too ambiguous and creates the possibility they could be excluded.
2. Remove language preventing Medicaid providers from qualifying for emergency small business loans.

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As reported by Politico Pulse:

“As the Senate continues to negotiate a rescue package, House Democrats wrote a competing proposal that would boost emergency funds for agencies, mandate ‘green’ rules for airlines, eliminate a payroll tax suspension and more, POLITICO’s Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes report.

Among the differences:

— More help to hospitals: Health care providers and community health centers would receive about $150 billion, while hospitals would get an additional $80 billion in low-interest loans. The proposal is more in line with industry requests, compared to the $75 billion Senate Republicans have offered.

— Rewarding nonprofits. Hospitals would qualify for tax credits for charity care they provide and for creating or expanding facilities to handle the coronavirus patient load. Governmental employers, including public universities, would get tax credits for mandated worker leave due to the coronavirus.”