GNYHA is advocating for the inclusion of hospital and other health care provider investments in the infrastructure legislation under discussion by Congress and the Biden Administration. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the nation’s deteriorating health care infrastructure and the need for Congress to make public health investments, including physical, workforce, and digital improvements for health care providers.
GNYHA’s three priority areas for health care investments are capital access for hospitals and other providers that face difficulty securing capital to support health care access and delivery system reforms; a hospital and long-term care workforce stocked with well-trained personnel by investing in a robust pipeline of doctors, nurses, and ancillary staff of diverse backgrounds; and health information technology to help hospitals and health care providers become increasingly digitized, particularly in response to regulatory requirements and the COVID-19 pandemic.
GNYHA sent its infrastructure priorities paper (attached) to Capitol Hill and the Biden Administration. The paper covers various issues affecting health care providers and workers and includes substantive recommendations for Congress.
President Biden last week released the first of his two-part American Jobs Plan. The $2.5 trillion proposal includes many traditional infrastructure proposals such as funding for transportation, broadband access, power upgrades, and school construction. The second part will be released in the next few weeks and will include many of the Administration’s “human infrastructure” proposals, including health care.
Congress will rapidly start negotiations on infrastructure legislation when it returns to session the week of April 12. GNYHA is in close contact with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the New York Congressional delegation, others on Capitol Hill, and key Biden Administration contacts about our infrastructure priorities.