Pennsylvania hospitals will soon get $572 million in long-awaited covid-19 response reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania told TribLive on Wednesday.
Several members of the Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation have sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security this year urging the release of more than $600 million owed to medical providers in the state. A vast majority of that money now appears to be on the way.
“Pennsylvania hospitals transformed their operations overnight to care for their communities, protect their teams and save lives during the covid-19 pandemic, taking on significant financial costs,” said Nicole Stallings, CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. “HAP and Pennsylvania’s hospitals are happy to see long-due disaster relief funds distributed through FEMA.”
FEMA did not immediately return a request for comment.
Between March 2020 and May 2023, FEMA promised more than $60 billion in grants to state and local governments as well as nonprofits, including hospitals. Medical providers could use the money to treat patients, prevent the spread of the virus, buy ventilators and cover other pandemic-related expenses.
Much of that money was held up for years, and some of it may still be in limbo.
Bill Toland, an Allegheny Health Network spokesman, said the health system was notified Wednesday of forthcoming FEMA funds. The money is expected to arrive within a month or two, according to Toland.
UPMC did not immediately return a request for comment.