Unobligated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance funds related to COVID-19 response costs for hospitals across Pennsylvania should be promptly distributed, according to Pennsylvania Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“While FEMA approved substantial reimbursements through the Public Assistance Program, a significant portion of Pennsylvania’s funding has still not been fully processed,” the eight congressmen wrote in a March 13 letter sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
“Nearly $600 million in reimbursements for Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems remains outstanding, delaying the support that providers were promised for their pandemic response efforts,” wrote the members, who included U.S. Reps. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), John Joyce (R-PA), and Lloyd Smucker (R-PA).
During the COVID pandemic, FEMA offered Public Assistance grants to help offset the significant costs to hospitals.
“Pennsylvania hospitals stepped up during COVID-19 and did everything asked of them and more to protect patients and support frontline workers,” said Rep. Bresnahan. “FEMA should stop dragging its feet and release the funds these providers were promised so they can keep caring for families across the commonwealth.”
Rep. Smucker agreed, pointing out that hospitals across the state continue to provide exceptional care to communities every day. “Pennsylvania hospitals should receive the Public Assistance funding they are owed for the critical services they delivered,” he said.
The members also noted that recent advocacy in Congress has helped secure the release of approximately $2 billion in FEMA reimbursements for New York hospitals.
“We appreciate FEMA’s responsiveness in resolving those claims and hope that a similar effort can ensure that Pennsylvania providers receive the funds that have already been approved for them,” according to their letter.
“Hospitals are among the most vital institutions in any community, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania’s hospitals proved exactly why,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “At the heart of that effort were extraordinary doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals who worked tirelessly under immense pressure to care for the sick, protect those around them, and serve as a lifeline for families during a time of profound uncertainty.
“That service came at a significant cost, and these hospitals should not still be waiting for support intended to help shoulder that burden,” added the congressman. “We will continue pressing to ensure the hospitals of Bucks and Montgomery counties — and across Pennsylvania — receive the resources they were promised and rightfully earned.”