Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the bipartisan Save Our Rural Health Providers Act, which allocates 20% of all remaining CARES Act Provider Relief Funds as well as any future funds, to rural health care providers in Arizona and across the United States to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
“Arizona’s rural health providers need support to help save lives and effectively combat the coronavirus crisis,” said Sinema.
Many rural Arizona hospitals are facing financial strain due to the coronavirus outbreak due to declining number of elective procedures, along with increased costs for PPE and other protective measures. A recent national study from this past April found that 10 percent of Arizona rural hospitals were in danger of closing due to the pandemic. Sinema’s bipartisan legislation provides much needed and sufficient relief for rural providers in Arizona, and pushes for additional funds to be included in future coronavirus relief bills.
The CARES Act and Paycheck Protection and Health Care Enhancement Act allocated $175 billion for the Provider Relief Funds. To date, more than $100 billion has been disbursed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In April, Sinema urged the allocation of $10 billion for rural providers and in July requested 20% of remaining funds to be set aside for rural providers.
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