Which Colorado Hospitals got Federal Covid Funds and Why?

The Federal Government paid certain Colorado hospitals $236 million for COVID-19 relief. But this money only went to some hospitals and not to others, according to the CDC . None of this money went to Boulder Community Hospital. Why? Furthermore, none of the hospitals in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, or Grand Junction received any federal money.

Why?

United States taxpayers paid $178,000,000,000 ($178 billion) to certain hospitals and healthcare providers for coronavirus relief as of September 2021. In addition, Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program that provided health care providers an estimated $100 billion in funds, 

These funds were distributed via the CARES Act; the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPHCEA); and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act.

The following table from the CDC shows which hospitals in Colorado got federal funding for COVID. Note that, despite high populations and many deaths due to COVID, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Castle Rock, and Grand Junction received no money.

The Department of Health and Human Services distributed two rounds of payments to hospitals in High Impact areas for positive COVID-19 admissions.

In the first round of the High Impact Allocation, $12 billion was distributed to nearly 400 hospitals that provided inpatient care for 100 or more COVID-19 patients through April 10, 2020. $2 billion of these payments was distributed to these hospitals based on their Medicare disproportionate share and uncompensated care payments. In the second round of funding, $10 billion was distributed to hospitals having over 161 COVID-19 admissions between January 1 and June 10, 2020.

Federal coronavirus relief funds and cost reductions allowed some but not all hospitals to remain profitable during the first three quarters of 2020, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Furthermore,  in 2021, the six largest hospital systems generated profits that exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to MedPAC’s preliminary data. (see list of top 10 hospital systems.)

Why did some hospitals get federal dollars and others did not?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the hospitals that got the money had more patients early in the pandemic. But what about those hospitals who later had more patients? As data from the New York Times below shows, the biggest county in Colorado, El Paso County, had the most COVID-19 deaths, yet hospitals there received no COVID-19 relief. Why?

COVID Cases and Deaths in Colorado Counties

What do you think? Is it fair that the US government gave some hospitals millions of dollars while giving others no money? Is this a case of Crony Capitalism? Or is there some other explanation? Did any small, private medical practices get money?

For more about federal funding of the medical industry, visit Freedom from Medical Bankruptcy