ASCRS Advocates for Immediate Relief for Ophthalmologists In Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic
As part of its ongoing efforts to secure relief for physicians and their practices impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ASCRS recently joined colleagues in the surgical and specialty medical communities in two additional letters. The first, in conjunction with the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, urges Congress to ensure that physician practices qualify for financial relief, including loans and relief from payroll taxes as part of the Small Business provisions. The second letter, sent in conjunction with the Surgical Coalition, issues support for the Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act, which would provide an emergency, one-time grant for all providers and ambulatory surgery centers equal to their total payroll from January 1 - April 1, 2019 and authorize the Small Business Administration to provide low interest loans to providers and ambulatory surgery centers at a 0.25% interest rate that will not accrue until two years after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. We issued support for this bill with the intention that its provisions be included in the third stimulus package currently in development.
You can learn more and review all letters under ASCRS Advocacy Resources.
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Earlier today, AMA, AHA, ANA issued an open letter urging the public to #StayHome to confront COVID-19.