Third economic package directs $2 trillion to address the economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 27, 2020, the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” was signed into law. Largely considered a stimulus package to address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, corporations, small businesses, and state and local governments, this law includes key provisions to support health care providers. These provisions include:

  • $100 billion for hospitals for health care-related expenses or lost revenue resulting from the COVID crisis
  • $14 billion for the Veteran’s Administration
  • $1.32 billion for Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
  • 20 percent add-on to the diagnosis-related group (DRG) rate for Medicare patients with COVID-19 (applied to patients in rural and urban inpatient hospitals)
  • Delaying Medicare sequestration cuts until December 31, 2020, as well as delaying Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts until November 30, 2020
  • Allowing hospice recertifications to be completed via telehealth, rather than face-to-face
  • Limiting state and federal liability for volunteer health care professionals who provide services in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency

Learn more

Visit CAPC's COVID-19 Response Resources toolkit, which is frequently updated to reflect both changes in health policy, as well as emerging best practices for all health care professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.

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