WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released nearly $600 million in delayed reimbursements to Pennsylvania hospitals for COVID-19-related expenses following pressure from members of the state’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.
The funding, announced Thursday, is intended to reimburse hospitals that absorbed substantial operational and emergency response costs during the pandemic, according to Fetterman’s office.
Fetterman sent a letter to FEMA on April 29 urging the agency to release the funding, arguing that hospitals across the commonwealth had been waiting for reimbursement tied to emergency pandemic response efforts.
“I’m grateful to Secretary Mullin and FEMA for releasing these funds to the hospitals in Pennsylvania that provided lifesaving care through a global pandemic and have been waiting for these reimbursements,” Fetterman said in a statement. “This is a long awaited relief for them.”
The reimbursements come as hospitals nationwide continue to face financial pressure tied to staffing shortages, inflation, and lingering operational impacts from the pandemic.
Nicole Stallings, president and CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said hospitals across Pennsylvania incurred major costs while adapting operations during the public health emergency.
“Pennsylvania hospitals transformed their operations overnight to care for their communities, protect their teams, and save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking on significant financial costs,” Stallings said.
Stallings also credited Pennsylvania lawmakers who advocated for the release of the funds, including Sens. Fetterman and Dave McCormick, along with several members of the state’s congressional delegation.
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