May 5, 2020 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Charles Schumer Minority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer: Thank you for your leadership and work to provide relief to the American people during the COVID-19 epidemic through the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. With negotiations for the next COVID-19 relief package underway, we write to convey our strong support that future legislation includes a provision that forgives Medicare accelerated payments’ interest rates and pursues full loan forgiveness for hospitals and other providers. Our nations’ hospitals have invested heavily to prepare for the pandemic. They canceled tens-ofthousands of elective surgeries and non-emergent patient tests at the government’s request to help assure there is adequate hospital capacity, preserve gear and equipment, and reduce the risk of unnecessary patient spread. This major shift has put some of America’s hospitals on the brink of financial disaster. Without further support, hospitals will face another financial crisis just four months from now as the government begins to withhold Medicare payments for services provided after the pandemic fades and until the loans are repaid. While the $175 billion provider grant program, designed to provide support to all providers, is helpful, much more support is needed. In the absence of substantially more financial support, it is nearly certain that many hospitals will be forced to close or significantly reduce health care services over the next several months – and perhaps longer. This would be a tragic consequence, especially if the country is hit with another round of the viral epidemic in the near future. In addition to grant funding and new loan programs with zero or low interest rates, Congress should provide loan forgiveness to ensure the additional financial support hospitals and other providers direly need. Forgiveness would be for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are directly attributable to coronavirus. And, just like the requirement in the provider grant program, providers electing to have their advance payment loans forgiven would be obligated to abstain from balance billing any patient for COVID-related treatment. In addition, Congress would mandate criteria for transparency and accountability of the loan forgiveness. Emergency funding requests to combat the unprecedented times we face do not come lightly. We recognize the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund faces imminent concern necessitating a long-term financial solution, and Congress is committed to its solvency. Furthermore, we are also committed to providing timely aid and necessary relief for our hospital caregivers and providers. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We stand ready to work with you in every way to support the men and women on the frontline caring for those with the coronavirus. Sincerely, Marcy Kaptur Member of Congress Bob Gibbs Member of Congress Joyce Beatty Member of Congress Ted Deutch Member of Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Derek Kilmer Member of Congress Darren Soto Member of Congress Brian Fitzpatrick Member of Congress Emanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress Raúl Grijalva Member of Congress Tim Ryan Member of Congress Mike Turner Member of Congress Anthony Gonzalez Member of Congress Ann McLane Kuster Member of Congress Steve King Member of Congress Chris Stewart Member of Congress Marcia L. Fudge Member of Congress Steve Stivers Member of Congress Max Rose Member of Congress James Comer Member of Congress Bill Johnson Member of Congress Dwight Evans Member of Congress Susan Wild Member of Congress Betty McCollum Member of Congress Rodney Davis Member of Congress Mikie Sherrill Member of Congress Peter Welch Member of Congress Ted S. Yoho, D.V.M. Member of Congress Abby Finkenauer Member of Congress Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress Jahana Hayes Member of Congress Xochitl Torres Small Member of Congress Jack Bergman Member of Congress Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. Member of Congress Brendan F. Boyle Member of Congress Colin Allred Member of Congress Bruce Westerman, P.E. Member of Congress Cheri Bustos Member of Congress Troy Balderson Member of Congress David N. Cicilline Member of Congress Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. Member of Congress David Scott Member of Congress Diana DeGette Member of Congress Chris Pappas Member of Congress Sharice L. Davids Member of Congress Christopher H. Smith Member of Congress Debbie Dingell Member of Congress David P. Joyce Member of Congress Chellie Pingree Member of Congress Doug Collins Member of Congress Matthew Cartwright Member of Congress Donald Norcross Member of Congress Jason Crow Member of Congress Tulsi Gabbard Member of Congress Eddie Bernice Johnson Member of Congress Suzanne Bonamici Member of Congress Tom Emmer Member of Congress Jeff Van Drew Member of Congress Andy Kim Member of Congress Joseph D. Morelle Member of Congress Nydia M. Velázquez Member of Congress Rick Crawford Member of Congress André Carson Member of Congress Lucy McBath Member of Congress Albio Sires Member of Congress Brenda L. Lawrence Member of Congress Elissa Slotkin Member of Congress Fred Upton Member of Congress John Moolenaar Member of Congress Paul Mitchell Member of Congress Daniel T. Kildee Member of Congress Stephen F. Lynch Member of Congress Mary Gay Scanlon Member of Congress Vicente Gonzalez Member of Congress William R. Keating Member of Congress Carolyn B. Maloney Member of Congress Andy Levin Member of Congress Ann Kirkpatrick Member of Congress Haley M. Stevens Member of Congress Jim Banks Member of Congress Daniel P. Meuser Member of Congress Katie Porter Member of Congress David Rouzer Member of Congress G. K. Butterfield Member of Congress Ilhan Omar Member of Congress Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. Member of Congress Ruben Gallego Member of Congress John Yarmuth Member of Congress Marc Veasey Member of Congress Steve Cohen Member of Congress Dean Phillips Member of Congress