Tester Announces $111.5 Million for Montana Hospitals to Combat Pandemic

Senator secured these funds through the CARES Act, will provide relief to 1,469 Montana providers

As a part of his ongoing fight to make sure Montana health care providers have the resources they need to keep Montanans safe during the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced $111.5 million for Montana’s Provider Relief Fund, which will be distributed among 1,469 providers and systems across the state.

“I have said from day one that we need to give Montana’s brave providers and health care professionals every resource available to win the fight against this virus,” said Tester. “These funds will go a long way toward shoring up our hospitals and keeping Montanans across our state healthy and safe, and I am going to keep fighting to make sure our health care providers, particularly in rural areas, get the support they need to get the job done.”

This $111.5 million Provider Relief Fund is the first allocation from the $100 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act specifically for hospitals and health care providers. This fund, which Tester and his colleagues fought to secure through 72 hours of bipartisan negotiations, is intended to cover non-reimbursable expenses attributable to the coronavirus pandemic. All health care entities that provide treatment, diagnoses or testing are eligible for funding, and 1,469 of Montana’s providers and systems will receive funds.

This week, Tester sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, urging him to guarantee that a portion of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund will be set aside specifically for rural providers for health care expenses or lost revenues attributable to the pandemic.

Tester has been working tirelessly to ensure that Montana hospitals are prepared to combat the COVID-19 crisis. This week, he secured $9.1 million for Montana Community Health Centers to respond to the pandemic, and secured an additional $3 million for the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Public Health Workforce Expansion in Indian Country. He recently demanded that the Trump Administration not leave rural hospitals behind in their coronavirus response, and he voted to deliver critical, urgent relief to Montana hospitals, workers, families, small businesses, and others hardest hit by the outbreak, which included $1.25 billion for the state of Montana.

Visit tester.senate.gov/coronavirusresources for a list of resources for Montanans during the COVID-19 outbreak