Maine health care providers are getting $145 million from the federal government as they focus on pandemic response, while many of their usual revenue sources have dried up.
U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced Friday that 1,681 Maine providers would get a share of the funds to reimburse them for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, and help prioritize COVID-19 testing and treatment for the uninsured.
The state's largest provider network, MaineHealth, has canceled elective procedures while maintaining pay for its workforce. Spokesperson Katie Fullam Harris says the funds will help to make sure the nonprofit has the means to make critical decisions in the coming weeks.
"But there will be substantially more support needed for us to be able to return to a state of providing comprehensive care and ensuring all of our patients have access to all of the services that they need in the future."
Fullam Harris says MaineHealth is losing money at a rate of approximately $85 million a month right now. Congress has authorized additional funds, but they have yet to be allocated.
