Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the first allotment of designated healthcare provider funding through the CARES Act. Of the $30 billion released today, West Virginia received $246.5 million for 1,772 providers – less than 1% of the total money released. This week, Senator Manchin led a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar pushing for rural provider funding to be prioritized as COVID-19 relief funding was distributed.

“We appreciate every dollar that is allocated to help our West Virginia health care providers but it is heartbreaking for the state with the most at risk population to receive less than 1% of the total money released today. Our rural hospitals and providers are the first line of defense in the communities they serve and we cannot risk insolvency, especially at a time like this. Our providers in West Virginia deserve the same level of attention as the larger providers throughout the country. I will continue to work to ensure the next round of funding is distributed based on my formula that targets rural health providers and providers serving our most vulnerable populations,” Senator Manchin said.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s actions throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.

Senator Manchin launched an information resources page where West Virginians can learn more about the coronavirus pandemic and how to protect themselves and their families. To learn more please click here. 

To receive daily updates from Senator Manchin on the coronavirus pandemic, please click here.