The Trump administration will use a federal stimulus package to pay hospitals that treat uninsured people with the new coronavirus as long as they agree not to bill the patients or issue unexpected charges.

The plan, which President Trump announced at the White House on Friday, comes as the White House faces mounting criticism for not launching a special enrollment period for people seeking coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Congressional Democrats also were pressuring the administration and insurers to waive treatment costs for the growing number of Americans who are losing employer-provided health coverage as job losses mount.

Hospitals treating the uninsured often bill patients. The uninsured also may get bills for care provided by doctors who aren’t directly employed by the hospital. Both would be barred under the administration plan, and hospitals would be reimbursed at current Medicare rates.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday that providers who get the funding will be forbidden from billing the uninsured for the difference between the money they get and the costs of treatment, a practice known as balance billing.

Hospitals are eager to get funding and administration officials are working now to determine how the money will be divided, according to a person familiar with the planning. It will go toward revenue assistance, covering the costs of the uninsured, and the needs of hospitals. For example, needs may be higher for hospitals in hotspots hard-hit by the pandemic.