FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2022
Contact: Brian Reardon
Statement by Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, President and Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Health Association of the United States
"The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) welcomes the broad bipartisan support for passage of the fiscal year 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The legislation provides critical support for our nation's health and social safety net, while at the same time continuing to include critical Hyde-Weldon conscience protections necessary for Catholic health care providers to serve their communities.
"Members of CHA have responded time and again to the many challenges from COVID-19 and the Omnibus bill is a welcome source of hope for those frontline workers looking for Congress to work together to ensure those in need are supported. CHA is pleased the bill includes additional Medicaid funding for the U.S. territories, temporary extension of telehealth waivers, greater flexibility for 340B hospitals, closure of the synthetic tobacco loophole, and additional funds for mental health, substance use disorders, public health and various social safety net programs that we believe are critical to addressing the social determinants of health. We are also pleased to see significant funding for other priorities, including nearly a billion dollars for maternal health programs, which helps address alarming disparities in our country.
"Lastly, we welcome the bill's investments in addressing racial and ethnic health disparities by increasing funds for important programs and research initiatives that promote health equity. CHA and our members, through our We Are Called campaign, have strongly advocated for policies that address the root causes of racism.
"While today's legislation provides additional security to those working each day to meet the needs of their communities, we hope that it can provide impetus for more bipartisan work to pass additional COVID-19 support for providers struggling to address workforce shortages and increased costs brought on by the pandemic, make the temporary telehealth flexibilities permanent, fund global vaccination efforts and come together on a reconciliation package which prioritizes health care access and affordability for those in need."
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The Catholic Health Association of the United States is the national leadership organization of the Catholic health ministry, representing the largest nonprofit provider of health care services in the nation.
- 1 in 7 patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital each day.
- Catholic health care, which includes more than 2,200 hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, systems, sponsors, and related organizations, serves the full continuum of health care across our nation.