Rural hospitals could get hit harder by rising number of Covid-19 cases as federal pandemic funding is phased out

"While the number of cases of Covid-19 in rural counties is on the rise, additional funding to cover the cost of vaccination and treatment is stalled in Washington," Liz Carey reports for The Daily Yonder. "According to an analysis by the Daily Yonder, between April 25 and May 1, the rate of new Covid infections has risen by more than 50%. Rural counties reported nearly 29,000 new infections last week, up 29% from two weeks ago, the third week of increases."

Meanwhile, the federal government recently announced it would not buy more monoclonal antibody treatments because funding had run out. "With rural residents dying at a higher rate than urban residents, the loss of those treatments could further increase the toll Covid is taking on rural communities," Carey reports. "And, without the federal government covering the cost of vaccinations and treatments, rural hospitals could be forced further into debt."

Though the Biden administration sought another $22.5 billion in Covid funds, the money was ultimately cut from the spending package passed in March. In April, Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) co-authored a $10 billion Covid relief package using leftover money from previous aid bills. It would provide "$5 billion for therapeutics, while the rest would be set aside for vaccinations, booster shots, and testing," Carey reports. "Currently, that aid package is stalled in Congress. It’s unclear when, or whether, the measure would come up for a vote. Without that funding, the country faces shortages of treatments, as well as a collapse of the systems put in place to test and vaccinate, should a future outbreak arise, the administration said."