With businesses struggling under the financial burdens associated with COVID-19 and pressures to keep their workforce intact while maintaining health benefits for employees, the fall-out of this pandemic is raining down hard upon individuals and families. On the darkest side, many are facing illness and hospitalizations exacerbated by work furloughs, and millions of people are losing their health insurance coverage completely. For those workers lucky enough to retain their jobs, many have no choice but to accept diminished coverage, increasingly higher deductible plans and extraordinary out-of-pocket expenses for medical services and products.

In the vortex of this seemingly endless cascade of health benefits challenges, America's health systems are bearing the brunt of uncompensated and charity care that translates into lost revenues. The American Hospital Association (AHA) estimates a total four-month financial impact of $202.6 billion in losses for America's hospitals and health systems, or an average of $50.7 billion per month, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the federal government moved quickly to provide relief, more help is needed.