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Kim E, Ko K. Misalignment between coronavirus financial aid and public health policies: negative incentives for outpatient clinics in the United States. J Public Health Policy. 2020;42(1):160-166doi: 10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9.
Kim, E., & Ko, K. (2021). Misalignment between coronavirus financial aid and public health policies: negative incentives for outpatient clinics in the United States. Journal of public health policy, 42(1), 160-166. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9
Kim, Edward, and Ko, Kristin. "Misalignment between coronavirus financial aid and public health policies: negative incentives for outpatient clinics in the United States." Journal of public health policy vol. 42,1 (2021): 160-166. doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9
Kim E, Ko K. Misalignment between coronavirus financial aid and public health policies: negative incentives for outpatient clinics in the United States. J Public Health Policy. 2021 Mar;42(1):160-166. doi: 10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9. Epub 2020 Sep 25. PMID: 32978513; PMCID: PMC7517730.
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J Public Health Policy. 2021 Mar;42(1):160-166. doi: 10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9. Epub 2020 Sep 25.

Misalignment between coronavirus financial aid and public health policies: negative incentives for outpatient clinics in the United States.

Journal of public health policy

Edward Kim, Kristin Ko

Affiliations

  1. Medical School for International Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel. [email protected].
  2. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.

PMID: 32978513 PMCID: PMC7517730 DOI: 10.1057/s41271-020-00256-9

Abstract

The United States Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) led to creation of the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as an expansion of reimbursements for telemedicine. CARES Act drafters over emphasized maintaining employment and overlooked negative downstream effects the policies had on outpatient clinics. The misalignment between this financial aid package and public health policy is most apparent in the pressure administrators face to maintain clinic operations, without a transition plan to adopt telemedicine and associated best practices. If this continues, the result will be suboptimal clinical practices and an increased risk of COVID-19 infection to both staff and patients. Particularly in times of crisis, financial aid packages should not be evaluated in isolation; policymakers should consider their implications for public health while designing, enacting, and implementing such measures.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Policy; SARS-CoV2; Telemedicine

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