SARASOTA, Fla – Congressman Vern Buchanan announced Friday that his congressional district received more federal coronavirus healthcare aid than 95 percent of all the districts in the country.
Buchanan's district, which includes Manatee, Sarasota and Hillsborough counties, was 19th on the list of 435 congressional districts in terms of healthcare aid received under the Provider Relief Fund passed by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This aid is intended to cover healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to coronavirus and to ensure uninsured Americans can get the testing and treatment they need. Some of the federal money is being used to keep hospitals open that have seen revenue dry up in recent months after canceling elective procedures due to the pandemic.
"Obviously I'm pleased to see health care providers in our area receiving assistance from the bill I supported in March," Buchanan said. "Our hospitals, doctors and nurses are doing heroic work to keep people safe and they deserve all the support we can give them."
The formula used to disperse these healthcare funds was based on Medicare enrollment, specifically use of Medicare fee-for-service. Buchanan's district is one of the oldest in the country.
The 16th District's share was part of an initial $30 billion payout from the Provider Relief Fund specifically intended for hospitals and health care providers created under the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress in March. The money to health providers is a grant and does not need to be repaid.
