Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Becomes Law
On March 27, 2020, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” was signed into law. Largely considered a stimulus package to address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, corporations, small businesses, and state and local governments, this law includes key provisions to support health care providers. These provisions include:
- $100 billion for hospitals for health care-related expenses or lost revenue resulting from the COVID crisis
- $14 billion for the Veteran’s Administration
- $1.32 billion for Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- 20 percent add-on to the diagnosis-related group (DRG) rate for Medicare patients with COVID-19 (applied to patients in rural and urban inpatient hospitals)
- Delaying Medicare sequestration cuts until December 31, 2020, as well as delaying Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts until November 30, 2020
- Allowing hospice recertifications to be completed via telehealth, rather than face-to-face
- Limiting state and federal liability for volunteer health care professionals who provide services in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency
Visit CAPC's COVID-19 Response Resources toolkit, which is frequently updated to reflect both changes in health policy, as well as emerging best practices for all health care professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.