COVID-19 Pandemic Response Timeline
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, NCHC published varying Congressional letters, policy guidelines, and blog posts to guide federal action. As Congress continued to pass federal response legislation, NCHC communicated member priorities to hill staff. NCHC sent letters urging Congress to protect health care workers and patients from financial hardships, while simultaneously building a stronger health care system. NCHC will continue to push for provisions to address drug pricing reform and surprise billing. NCHC sent a letter to Congressional leadership with policy recommendations for the fourth federal response. Also, NCHC published a memorandum on the House’s proposed fourth federal response. NCHC will continue to monitor policy changes as the pandemic evolves.
NCHC supports immediate bipartisan solutions that protect patients and providers in response to COVID-19, including
- Banning surprise billing for COVID-19 testing and treatment
- Direct financial assistance for non-hospital based, primary care providers
- Enhancing Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) and eligibility
- Waiving cost-sharing for seeking COVID-19 treatment
- Ensuring continuity of coverage by opening a special enrollment period (SEP) for federally facilitated exchanges
- Increasing health plan flexibilities to delay coverage termination on the exchanges
NCHC supports long-term bipartisan solutions that improve the health care system, including
- Reforming prescription drug pricing
- Increase Medicaid funding to encourage states to expand
- Increase funding for public health infrastructure and community health center (CHC) funding
- Extend Medicare telehealth flexibilities beyond COVID-19
- Establish Medicaid to Medicare payment parity for primary care services
- Fund mental health services and social services
- Strengthen the supply chain for generics and biosimilars
For the full timeline, click here.
Resources
NCHC Statement on the Pricing of Remdesivir
July 1, 2020, NCHC Staff
On Monday, June 29, Gilead announced the pricing of remdesivir, an anti-viral drug that treats COVID-19.
The Coalition supports protecting consumers from unaffordable drug costs. The pricing decision will exacerbate the health care affordability crisis already plaguing the country’s response to COVID-19. Fundamentally, the United States needs to develop a fair drug pricing system that does not rely on the good will of for-profit entities to restrain drug prices, as a matter of containing health care costs and preparing for the next crisis.
Read the Coalition’s entire statement here.
COVID-19’s Impact on Primary Care
Primary care physicians (PCPs) are a critical component of an affordable and accessible health care system. But because COVID-19 has limited outpatient visits and utilization rates, the pandemic is an existential threat to independent practices. Without additional state and federal assistance, primary care practices will suffer short-term and long-term consequences.
Read the full statement here.
Congressional Letter on Primary Care and COVID-19
June 11, 2020, NCHC Staff
NCHC submitted a congressional letter urging the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate funding appropriated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to primary care practices. The statement drew attention to the primary care practices that are closing and consolidating due to COVID-19, with long-term ramifications for health care affordability.
Read the full statement here.
Summary of HEROES Act Provisions Related to NCHC Priorities
May 12, 2020, NCHC Staff
Highlights of the HEROES Act provisions that are related to NCHC priorities can be found in this summary. For example, Section 30101: FMAP increase. Increases Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) payments to state Medicaid programs by a total of 14 percentage points starting July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
Read the full summary here.
Memo on Fourth Phase of COVID-19 House Proposal
May 7, 2020, NCHC Staff
The CARES Act foremost provided financial relief to hospitals, small businesses, and individuals through direct payments. The CARES Act (“Phase 3”) also built on the previous “Phase 2” legislation, H.R. 6201, American Families First Coronavirus Act to expand the role of Medicaid, waive cost-sharing for essential COVID-19 testing, and other provisions across Medicare and commercial markets. See the previous NCHC memo for a summary of key CARES Act provisions, or Healthsperien’s full summary.
The full memo can be found here.
Congressional Letter with Policy Recommendations for Fourth Federal Response to COVID-19
April 6, 2020, NCHC Staff
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Whip Scalise:
On behalf of the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), we write to urge you to include additional policies to alleviate the short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our health care system as you consider a fourth legislative relief package. NCHC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to promoting health care affordability and accelerating positive system change. We represent more than 80 participating organizations, including medical societies, businesses, unions, health care providers, faith-based associations, pension and health funds, insurers, and groups representing consumers, patients, women, minorities and persons with disabilities. Collectively, our organizations represent more than 100 million Americans.
The full letter can be found here.
Memo on CARES Act Provisions Related to NCHC Priorities
March 25, 2020, NCHC Staff
Senate Republicans and Democrats will vote shortly on a new COVID-19 economic relief and health care package Wednesday (“Phase 3”), which is likely to be expeditiously passed in the House by unanimous consent. The new Senate Phase 3 bill, H.R. 748, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, comes days after the House released a different Phase 3 bill Monday evening, detailing a different approach, but was not taken up by the Senate. The new Senate Phase 3 package will provide significant relief to hospitals and build on the previous Phase 2 legislation, H.R. 6201, American Families First Coronavirus Act.
The full memo can be found here.
Congressional Letter with Policy Recommendations for COVID-19 Pandemic
March 19, 2020, NCHC Staff
Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy:
On behalf of the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), we write to urge Congress to take up policy that will help alleviate the short- and long-term consequences of COVID-19. NCHC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health care affordability and accelerating positive system change. We represent more than 80 participating organizations, including medical societies, businesses, unions, health care providers, faith based associations, pension and health funds, insurers, and groups representing consumers, patients, women, minorities and persons with disabilities.
The full letter can be found here.