FEMA reimbursing Northwell Health $109M for COVID-19 costs

Northwell Health is being reimbursed more than $109 million for its COVID-19 pandemic expenses.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending $109,369,117.32 in emergency funds to the New Hyde Park-based health care system, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced.

The funds reimburse Northwell for the cost of supplies and services it purchased to respond to the pandemic, including $94.9 million for personal protective equipment, $8.6 million for cleaning and disinfecting agents and $5.9 million for infection control, air filtration systems and barriers, Northwell spokesman Jason Molinet said Monday. The expenses were incurred through the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11.

"We are currently working through Senator Schumer’s team to receive those funds," Molinet said in an email.

Long Island hospitals “undertook an incredible pandemic response and the hospital system both deserves and needs to be repaid for the funds they expended,” Schumer said in a statement. Other health care systems also are receiving payments.

The reimbursements are funded by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan stimulus package passed in 2021, as well as other COVID response bills, Schumer’s office said. Schumer’s office said the senator pushed the federal government to cover the full cost of hospitals’ pandemic response.

The pandemic that reached the Long Island region in early 2020 “has been an immense challenge for health care providers large and small, including Northwell Health,” Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell, said in a statement.

The $109 million represents less than 1% of Northwell's $16.5 billion budget.

By Maura McDermott

maura.mcdermott@newsday.commauramcdermott

Maura McDermott is a reporter on the investigations desk. Since starting at Newsday in 2012, she has also covered real estate and the business of health care.