Rep. Axne Urges Congress to Include Critical Investments for Iowa's Healthcare Workers and Systems

Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) has written to leaders of three House committees to emphasize the need for critical investments to protect Iowa's healthcare workers, hospitals, and healthcare systems in the next phase of congressional coronavirus legislation. Axne has heard from the entire spectrum of healthcare professionals, from patients to doctors to hospital administrators, and has identified key areas where additional support is required.

Key Takeaways:

• Axne is requesting hazard pay for frontline healthcare workers, who are working without adequate protection and are putting their health and safety at risk.
• She is calling for expanded protection and support for Iowa's healthcare systems, including the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ensuring equal access for testing and supplies.
• Axne is advocating for the inclusion of her bipartisan bill, which would expand telehealth availability for Iowans needing important therapeutic services like physical or occupational therapy.
• She is urging Congress to provide financial assistance to hospitals and clinics, including no-interest loans and eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
• Axne is also pushing for the creation of a COVID-19 hospital debt-forgiveness program and the immediate conversion of rural health care clinics into Critical Access Hospitals.
• The Representative is calling for the elimination of DIR fees on independent pharmacies and empowering pharmacists to conduct therapeutic interchange and substitution without physician authorizations.

Statistics:

• Over 3 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19.
• Nearly every healthcare system in the United States is struggling financially due to increased costs associated with the pandemic.
• Hospitals from across Axne's district have raised concerns about having to cut salaries, furlough workers, and possibly close their doors due to financial insolvency.
• The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) does not currently apply to small, public hospitals in rural areas, which are in dire financial risk of having to lay off staff.

Sources:

• Released by the office of Iowa Rep. Cynthia Axne
• Letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richie Neal, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone