WASHINGTON – FAH President and CEO Chip Kahn released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed legislation to extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester for the remainder of 2021. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature:

“Despite tremendous progress with the vaccines, COVID’s effects on health care remain palpable across the nation. Today’s action by the House is urgently needed to mitigate the pressures from COVID with hospital beds unfortunately filling again from a new surge.

“As this pandemic continues to push our frontline caregivers to the brink and stretch the resources of hospitals, the extension of the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester is a vital lifeline that will help ensure access to care for both COVID and non-COVID patients. 

“We appreciate the leadership in the House and Senate prioritizing this legislation and passing it in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion. We look froward to President Biden signing this bill into law quickly to ease the burden on clinicians and providers so they can focus on what matters most — caring for their patients and defeating the virus.”

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