NEW YORK — Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced Tuesday that New York's skilled nursing facilities will receive more than $394 million of emergency funding. That's out of a nationwide pot of nearly $5 billion.
Schumer and Gillibrand said that New York would be receiving the most of any state of these funds and that these federal dollars will go toward at least 831 nursing facilities, which are some of New York's most vulnerable, frontline healthcare facilities.
"Nursing facilities and frontline workers have risked their lives to keep New York's most vulnerable patients safe during this outbreak," said Senator Gillibrand. "This critical funding will help provide New York's most at-risk nursing facilities with the resources needed to treat senior patients and save lives. I will continue fighting in the Senate for the funding needed to ensure everyone has access to quality health care during these unprecendented times."
The Senators said the funds would be allocated by Health and Human Services and were part of funding for healthcare facilities and hospitals Senator Schumer negotiated into the CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand say each skilled nursing facility will receive a fixed distribution of $50,000, plus a distribution of $2,500 per bed and all certified nursing homes with six or more certified beds are eligible for this targeted distribution.
“New York’s nursing facilities have been on the frontlines of this battle against COVID-19 since the very beginning,” said Senator Schumer. “Caring and providing for some of our state’s most at-risk residents, nursing homes need all the federal support they can get. These critical dollars will be a much needed shot-in-the-arm for New York’s senior health care system and the fight being waged to save New Yorkers’ lives.”
