Grassley Joins Barrasso on Letter to HHS Secretary Becerra on Transitioning from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and 24 Senate colleagues in urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to provide Congress, patients and providers with additional insight on the Department’s plans for transitioning out of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

 

The letter specifically requests information on how changes in temporary, pandemic-related policies will affect Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients and providers in the coming months.

 

“As the American people return to normalcy, workers, families, frontline health care providers, and a range of other stakeholders need transparency and certainty regarding the path forward,” the Senators wrote. “This unpredictable patchwork of mandates and questionable authorities will continue to erode the public’s confidence in government health agencies. For frontline health care providers and patients, the administration’s erratic approach to transitioning beyond a perpetual state of pandemic emergency could prove particularly problematic.”

 

In addition to Grassley and Barrasso, the letter was signed by Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Ron Paul (R-Ky.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

 

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.