Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) led a group of senators on June 27, 2022 in backing a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to help hospitals buy USA-made surgical N95 respirators.
The proposal
CMS’s proposed fiscal 2023 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule would adjust payments for hospitals that buy wholly domestically made NIOSH-approved surgical N95s.
Why the senators support it
- Fewer than 10% of N95s were made in the USA before the pandemic. Dozens more USA makers of respirators, parts and raw materials exist now.
- Many of those makers are struggling because hospitals often choose cheaper masks made in China.
“It is critically important now and moving forward for our country to possess a ready-supply of NIOSH-approved surgical N95 respirators and raw material inputs that are wholly domestically made.”
Sens. Warner and Baldwin
Sens. Tim Kaine, Tina Smith, Christopher Murphy, Debbie Stabenow, Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey also signed.
FAQ
What did CMS propose?
Medicare payment adjustments for hospitals that buy wholly domestic surgical N95s.
Who led the letter?
Sens. Mark Warner and Tammy Baldwin.
How many N95s were USA-made before COVID-19?
Fewer than 10%, the senators said.
Source & credit
Source: Office of Sen. Mark Warner, June 27, 2022: “Warner, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Urging Biden Administration to Support Made in USA Masks”.