Vizient Urges Congress to Include Hospital Priorities in Upcoming COVID Relief Legislation

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vizient, Inc. today shared a letter with House and Senate leadership urging Congress to include several key legislative priorities in expected upcoming legislation to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vizient urged Congress to continue to deliver essential financial support for hospitals, including bolstering the Provider Relief Fund and making changes to the Medicare Accelerated and Advanced Payment Programs to allow for greater flexibility in repaying the advanced payments or full loan forgiveness.

In acknowledgement of the heroic work being performed in hospitals across the country, Vizient urged Congress to consider providing hazard pay to front line clinical workers and liability protections for hospitals and health care workers operating in good faith to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vizient also called on Congress to include legislation that would support the development of physician leaders in the future as well as recommended policies that would enhance state Medicaid programs.

Vizient also reiterated its request for Congress to make permanent several policy changes that have allowed telehealth services to be rapidly deployed during the pandemic.

“Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, America’s hospitals and health care professionals have taken unprecedented steps to respond to the incredible challenges resulting from the spread of this virus,” said, Shoshana Krilow, vice president of public policy and government relations for Vizient. “Congress has acted appropriately and aggressively on several occasions throughout this crisis, but more still needs to be done. It is vital that Congress consider including additional policies to provide support for hospitals in the upcoming COVID-19 relief legislative package.”

Vizient is the nation’s largest member-driven health care performance improvement company, providing innovative data-driven solutions, expertise, and collaborative opportunities that lead to improved patient outcomes and lower costs.

About Vizient, Inc.

Vizient, Inc. provides solutions and services that improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance for more than 50% of the nation’s acute care providers, which includes 95% of the nation’s academic medical centers, and more than 20% of ambulatory care providers. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $100 billion in annual purchasing volume, to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Vizient has earned a World’s Most Ethical Company designation from the Ethisphere Institute every year since its inception. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.