CARES Act Provider Relief Fund: FAQs

The deadline to start an application by submitting a TIN for validation under Phase 3 – General Distribution is November 6, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST.  If the TIN validation is initialized by November 13, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST, the entity will have until November 27, 2020 at 11:59 PM EST to submit an application.

Expenses for capital equipment and inventory may be fully expensed only in cases where the purchase was directly related to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus.  Examples of these types of equipment and inventory expenses include:

• Ventilators, computerized tomography scanners, and other intensive care unit- (ICU) related equipment put into immediate use or held in inventory
• Masks, face shields, gloves, gowns
• Biohazard suits
• General personal protective equipment
• Disinfectant supplies

Expenses for capital facilities may be fully expensed only in cases where the purchase was directly related to preventing, preparing for and responding to the coronavirus.  Examples of these types of facilities projects include:

• Upgrading a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to support negative pressure units
• Retrofitting a COVID-19 unit
• Enhancing or reconfiguring ICU capabilities
• Leasing or purchasing a temporary structure to screen and/or treat patients
• Leasing a permanent facility to increase hospital or nursing home capacity

Provider Relief Fund recipients shall exclude from the reporting of net patient revenue payments received or payments made to third parties relating to care not provided in 2019 or 2020.

Healthcare related expenses attributable to coronavirus may include items such as supplies, equipment, information technology, facilities, employees, and other healthcare related costs/expenses for the calendar year. The classification of items into categories should align with how Provider Relief Fund recipients maintain their records. Providers can identify their healthcare related expenses, and then apply any amounts received through other sources, such as direct patient billing, commercial insurance, Medicare/Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or other funds received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Provider Relief Fund COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Treasury's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that offset the healthcare related expenses. Provider Relief Fund payments may be applied to the remaining expenses or cost, after netting the other funds received or anticipated to offset those expenses. The Provider Relief Fund permits reimbursement of marginal increased expenses related to coronavirus. For example, assume the following:

A $5 increase in expense or cost to provide an office visit is calculated by pre-pandemic cost vs. post-pandemic cost, regardless of reimbursement source:

• Pre-pandemic average expense or cost to provide an office visit = $80
• Post-pandemic average expense or cost to provide an office visit = $85

Examples of reimbursed amounts may include, but not be limited to:

• Example 1
  Medicaid reimbursement: $70 (Report $85-$80 = $5 as expense attributable to coronavirus but unreimbursed by other sources)
• Example 2
  Medicare reimbursement: $80 (Report $85-$80 = $5 as expense attributable to coronavirus but unreimbursed by other sources)
• Example 3
  Commercial Insurance reimbursement: $85 (Report $5, commercial insurer did not reimburse for $5 increased cost of post-pandemic office visit)
• Example 4
  Commercial Insurance reimbursement: $85 + $5 insurer supplemental coronavirus-related reimbursement (Report zero since insurer reimbursed for $5 increased cost of post-pandemic office visit)
• Example 5
  COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured: $80 (Report $5 as expense attributable to coronavirus but unreimbursed by other sources)

Providers who use accrual or cash basis accounting may report the relevant depreciation amount based on the equipment useful life, purchase price and depreciation methodology otherwise applied.

Providers may report an expense for items purchased with a useful life of 12 months or less if in accordance with their existing accounting policies.

Yes, providers that already have a cost allocation methodology in place, may allocate normal and reasonable overhead costs to their subsidiaries which may be an eligible expense if attributable to coronavirus and not reimbursed from other sources.