With over 5 million reported cases of COVID-19 – and tens of thousands currently hospitalized -- the hope that this pandemic will be a short-lived issue has all but evaporated. As state and federal leaders determine how to best control its spread, physicians and other medical professionals are doing everything possible to safeguard our patients' health while continuing to deliver high-quality care.
Keeping patients safe and healthy involves more than wearing masks (which is the easiest way each and every one of us can slow transmission). For the immunocompromised patients I see at my rheumatology practice, it means rigorous cleaning processes between each patient, ongoing struggles to obtain sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), and adjusting scheduling and operations to ensure everyone who needs care receives it while we maintain physical distancing and function with fewer staff.
COVID-19 has touched every fiber of my practice and my patients' lives. It has transformed how I practice medicine – shifting a great deal of care toward audio and video telehealth visits. The reduction in patient visits and rising costs for equipment, cleaning and other operations have also created significant financial struggles that continue to threaten my business and ability to serve my patients.
My practice is not alone. According to a recent national survey of physician practices, 36% of practices are at risk of closure to the financial implications of COVID-19, 69% of which are organizations with fewer than 10 physicians.
The CARES Act, which Congress passed earlier this year, provided tremendous relief at the time. Funding through that legislation saved jobs and decreased the number of employees we were forced to furlough. However, that one-time funding was not intended to support us for this length of time and through these mounting difficulties.
The challenges are real and ongoing -- and the need is urgent. To ensure continued access to care for patients during this health crisis, Congress must provide additional funds tailored to meet the specific needs of health care providers. Any additional funding provided to large health systems should come with the requirement that the funds be used to protect the jobs and salaries of the physicians and staff they employ. Future legislation should also include grant and forgivable loan programs designed to prevent and rectify furloughs and salary reductions at small and mid-size practices.
With 95% of practices having implemented telehealth as a result of COVID-19, Congress should also pass the Health Care at Home Act (H.R. 6644, S. 3741). This legislation would increase access to medical care by expanding telehealth audio-only services while ensuring that practices like mine are able to stay open, keep our staff employed, and treat those in need.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers throughout the country have implemented new strategies to adapt and best serve our communities. I am asking for Congress to do the same and hear the needs of physicians, like myself, as final negotiations for the next COVID-19 relief package are made.
Sean Fahey, MD, is a practicing rheumatologist in Mooresville, North Carolina.