Children’s Hospitals’ Statement on Essential COVID-19 Relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This past week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $1.4 billion in federal assistance for children’s hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s hospitals are grateful to the administration and Congress for broadening their recognition of the pandemic’s impact on children and its significant financial impact on children’s hospitals.

To date, in the CARES Act relief for the U.S. hospital industry, children’s hospitals’ losses—projected to reach $10 billion by the end of 2020— have been overlooked and underfunded. 

Children’s hospitals are charitable, community benefit organizations, caring for the most vulnerable children, training pediatricians and child health experts caring for all children, and leading research in diagnosing, treating and curing pediatric disease. With a mission to care for all children regardless of ability to pay, they are heavily reliant on Medicaid, not Medicare.

The current HHS funding allocation will help in off-setting a portion of their COVID-19 financial damages, supporting the hospitals’ continued provision of their unique missions. 

The pandemic’s impact on children’s hospitals continues and its adverse effects on children’s health will be enduring, requiring ongoing mitigation through future relief. We look forward to working with both Congress and the administration as our country, and its children, works to recover from this crisis.