On June 9, 2020, AAPM&R joined more than 130 state, specialty, and national medical associations in a letter to congressional leadership urging them to include liability protections for physicians in the next COVID-19 relief package, and in particular the protections that are included in the bipartisan bill, H.R. 7059, the “Coronavirus Provider Protection Act,” introduced on May 28 by Representatives Phil Roe, MD (R-TN) and Lou Correa (D-CA).
The Coronavirus Provider Protection Act seeks to provide liability protection for health care providers for damages with respect to any harm caused by any act or omission of such health care professional or related health care entity in the course of arranging for or providing health care services during the COVID-19 public health emergency period, and for other purposes.
Throughout the public health emergency, your Academy has advocated on behalf of physiatrists and all health care providers to receive liability protections for medical care provided to COVID-19 positive patients, as well as provider protection from patient harm resulting from government directives to cancel, delay, modify (e.g., treatment via telehealth) or deny care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our advocacy has included outreach to the National Governors Association and Congressional leaders, as well as a collaborative outreach to Congressional leaders with the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.