Early this morning, the White House and Senate reached a deal on a coronavirus stimulus relief package.
Senator McConnell’s earlier version of the package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), included a “Good Samaritan” provision to protect volunteer healthcare professionals from civil liability while simultaneously providing patient protection in cases of gross negligence or criminal misconduct.
Such a federal provision allows healthcare professionals to travel where they are most needed to combat the deadly coronavirus without fear of liability based on a patchwork of interstate licensing requirements.
ATRA urges the Senate to include a similar Good Samaritan provision in its final coronavirus stimulus relief package to allow for swift response and caretaking by the nation’s healthcare professionals. Medical professionals should be empowered to focus on the important work at hand and not have to jump through legal hoops so they can provide care that is desperately needed.
