Provider Relief Fund General Information (FAQs)

Provider Relief Fund payments are being disbursed via both "General" and "Targeted" Distributions.

To be eligible for the General Distribution, a provider must have billed Medicare fee-for-service in 2019, be a known Medicaid and CHIP or dental provider and provide or provided after January 31, 2020 diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of  COVID-19.

A description of the eligibility for the announced Targeted Distributions can be found here. U.S. healthcare providers may be eligible for payments from future Targeted Distributions. Information on future distributions will be shared when publicly available.

All providers retaining funds must sign an attestation and accept the Terms and Conditions associated with payment.

Retention and use of these funds are subject to certain terms and conditions. If these terms and conditions are met, payments do not need to be repaid at a later date. These Terms and Conditions can be found on the For Providers page.

In order to be eligible for a payment under the Provider Relief Fund, a provider must meet the eligibility criteria for the distribution. Additionally, a provider must not be currently terminated from participation in Medicare or precluded from receiving payment through Medicare Advantage or Part D; must not be currently excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs; and must not currently have Medicare billing privileges revoked as determined by either the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or the HHS Office of Inspector General in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the Provider Relief Fund.

Yes. The Provider Relief Fund does not issue individual General and Targeted Distributions payments that are less than $100.

The Provider Relief Fund will refund returned payments that are determined to be $500 or more in excess of the required returned amount.

Going forward, HHS will allow providers that submitted data as part of the COVID-19 High Impact Area Distribution and/or the Nursing Home Infection Control/Quality Incentive Payment Distribution, a limited opportunity to submit corrected data for up to 5 business days after the submission deadline.  HHS will only accept corrections within the 5-day time period that are accompanied by a justification for why the provider erred in the initial data submission.  HHS will review each request for correction on a case-by-case basis and may determine that a previous payment be amended to align with the updated data.  Providers who submit updated data may have their payments delayed for up to 90 days from the date of submission pending review and adjudication.  All HHS decisions are final and there is no appeals process.

Yes, for Provider Relief Fund payments that were held in an interest-bearing account, the provider must return the accrued interest associated with the amount being returned to HHS.  However, if the funds were not held in an interest-bearing account, there is no obligation for the provider to return any additional amount other than the Provider Relief fund payment being returned to HHS.  HHS reserves the right to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients in the future to ensure that payments that were held in an interest-bearing account were subsequently returned with accrued interest.

To return accrued interest, visit pay.gov.  On the webpage, locate "Find an agency," and select "Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Support Center HQ."  Verify that the description is "PSC HQ Payment" and form number is "HHSHQ," then click continue.  You will then need to complete the following steps:
Step 1: Preview the form, then click "Continue."
Step 2: Indicate whether you are completing on behalf of an individual or business and enter the following information.
Business Name Field: Legal name of organization that received the payment
Invoice or Ticket Number Field: "HHS-COVID-Interest"
Contract/Agreement Number Field:  Tax Identification Number (TIN) of organization or provider that received the payment
Point of contact: Business contact information
Payment Amount: (The payment amount must match the interest earned on the payment received.)
Step 3: Verify the interest return payment amount and select to pay by ACH or debit/credit card, then select "Continue."
Step 4: Enter the required information to complete the payment, then select "Review and Submit."
Step 5: Ensure that all information is correct and select "Submit."

If you received a notice from the Provider Relief Fund that you had funds available, but did not take action within 90 days of the original payment issuance date, the payment is no longer available to you.  If it is past the 90-day period for a General Distribution payment, you may apply for a Phase 2 – General Distribution payment through the Provider Relief Attestation and Application Portal.  If it is within 90 days of the original payment issuance date, you must contact the Provider Support Line to reinitiate your ACH payment. In order to distribute the funds in a timely manner, it is important to maintain current ACH information.

Please refer to CMS FAQs on how Provider Relief Fund payments should be reported on cost reports.

Providers should contact the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711), if they have questions about the status of their payment or application.  When calling, providers should have ready the last four digits of the recipient's or applicant's Tax Identification Number (TIN), the name of the recipient or applicant as it appears on the most recent tax filing, the mailing address for the recipient or applicant as it appears on the most recent tax filing, and the application number (begins with either "DS" or "CR") if they have submitted an application in the Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal.

Yes. Hospitals and health systems in all states and territories eligible for Provider Relief Fund payments.

In order to ensure program integrity and transparency, HHS made Provider Relief Fund payments to healthcare providers based on the latest data available for a TIN.  As previous owners are not permitted to transfer funds to the new owner, they were instructed to return the funds to HHS.  At this time, HHS will not reissue returned payments to the new owners.  Providers that have not received payments under the Provider Relief Fund due to issues related to change of ownership will be eligible to apply for future allocations. Additional information will be posted on this website.

If a provider ceased operation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are still eligible to receive Provider Relief Fund payments so long as they provided on or after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19, therefore, care does not have to be specific to treating COVID-19.  Recipients of funding must still comply with the Terms and Conditions related to permissible uses of Provider Relief Fund payments.

There is no direct ban under the CARES Act on accepting a payment from the Provider Relief Fund and other sources, so long as the payment from the Provider Relief Fund is used only for permissible purposes and the recipient complies with the Terms and Conditions. By attesting to the Terms and Conditions, the recipient certifies that it will not use the payment to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.

Payments from the Provider Relief Fund shall not be subject to the claims of the provider's creditors and providers are limited in their ability to transfer Provider Relief Fund payments to their creditors.  A provider may utilize Provider Relief Fund payments to satisfy creditors' claims, but only to the extent that such claims constitute eligible health care related expenses and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus and are made to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, as set forth under the Terms and Conditions.

No. A payment to a business, even if the business is a sole proprietorship, does not qualify as a qualified disaster relief payment under section 139. The payment from the Provider Relief Fund is includible in gross income under section 61 of the Code. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Services' website.

Generally, no. A health care provider that is described in section 501(c) of the Code generally is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a). Nonetheless, a payment received by a tax-exempt health care provider from the Provider Relief Fund may be subject to tax under section 511 if the payment reimburses the provider for expenses or lost revenue attributable to an unrelated trade or business as defined in section 513. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Services' website.

Yes, you will receive a Form 1099 if you received and retained within the calendar year 2020 a total net payment from either or both of the Provider Relief Fund and COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured that is in excess of $600.

Form 1099s will be mailed by January 31st, 2021.  If you have previously established an account with UnitedHealth Group and elected to receive electronic copies of documents and notices, you will not receive a mailed copy. 

Please call the Provider Support Line (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711) for any questions you may have regarding your Form 1099.

HHS will allocate returned payments to future distributions of the Provider Relief Fund.

Recipients (both non-federal entities and commercial organizations) of the General and Targeted Distributions of the Provider Relief Fund are subject to 45 CFR 75 Subpart A (Acronyms and Definitions) and B (General Provisions), subsections §§75.303 (Internal Controls), and 75.351-.353 (Subrecipient Monitoring and Management), and Subpart F (Audit Requirements). In addition, the terms and conditions of the PRF payments incorporate by reference the obligation of recipients to comply with the requirements to maintain appropriate financial systems at 75.302 (Financial management and standards for financial management systems) and the requirements for record retention and access at 75.361 through 75.365 (Record Retention and Access).

The CARES Act requires that providers meet certain terms and conditions if a provider retains a Provider Relief Fund payment. If a provider chooses to retain the funds, it must attest that it meet these terms and conditions of the payment. The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal or the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal will guide you through the attestation process to accept or reject the funds. Not returning the payment within 90 days of receipt will be viewed as acceptance of the Terms and Conditions. A provider must attest for each of the Provider Relief Fund distributions received.

Yes. The attestation portals require payment recipients to (1) confirm they received a payment and the specific payment amount that was received; and (2) agree to the Terms and Conditions of the payment.

If you affirmatively attested to a Provider Relief Fund payment already received and later wish to reject those funds and retract your attestation, you may do so by calling the provider support line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY dial 711. Note, HHS is posting a public list of providers and their payments once they attest to receiving the payment and agree to the Terms and Conditions.

Providers may return a payment by going into the attestation portal within 90 days of receiving payment and indicating they are rejecting the funds. The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal  or the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal will guide providers through the attestation process to reject the funds.  Providers must return the payment within 15 calendar days of rejecting the payment.

To return the money, the provider needs to contact their financial institution and ask the institution to refuse the received Automated Clearing House (ACH) credit by initiating an ACH return using the ACH return code of "R23 - Credit Entry Refused by Receiver." If a provider received the money via ACH they must return the money via ACH. If a provider was paid via paper check, after rejecting the payment in the Payment Attestation Portal, the provider should destroy the check if not deposited or mail a paper check to UnitedHealth Group with notification of their request to return the funds.

If the provider received a payment via check and has not yet deposited it, destroy, shred, or securely dispose of it. If the provider has already deposited the check, mail a refund check for the full amount, payable to "UnitedHealth Group" to the address below via United States Postal Service (USPS); mailing services such as FedEx and UPS cannot be used with this PO box. Please list the check number from the original Provider Relief Fund check in the memo.  Mail a refund check for the full amount payable to "UnitedHealth Group" to the address below.

UnitedHealth Group
Attention: Provider Relief Fund
PO Box 31376
Salt Lake City, UT 84131-0376

Contact UnitedHealth Group's Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711).

No, HHS will not issue a new payment to a provider that received and then subsequently rejected and returned the original payment.  The provider may be considered for future distributions if it meets the eligibility criteria for that distribution.

The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions require that recipients be able to demonstrate that lost revenues and expenses attributable to COVID-19, excluding expenses and losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse, meet or exceed total payments from the Provider Relief Fund. Provider Relief Fund payment amounts that have not been fully expended on health care expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus by the end of the final reporting period must be returned to HHS. The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions and applicable legal requirements authorize HHS to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future to ensure that program requirements are met. Provider Relief Fund payments that were made in error, or exceed lost revenue or expenses due to COVID-19, or do not otherwise meet applicable legal and program requirements must be returned to HHS, and HHS is authorized to recoup these funds.

Yes. As explained in the notice of reporting requirements on the Provider Relief Fund website, available at https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/reporting-auditing/index.html, funds must be expended no later than June 30, 2021. HHS will provide directions in the future about how to return unused funds. HHS reserves the right to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future, and is authorized to collect any Provider Relief Fund amounts that were overpaid or not used in a manner consistent with program requirements or applicable law. All payment recipients must attest to the Terms and Conditions, which require the submission of documentation to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to coronavirus.

Providers receiving payments from the Provider Relief Fund must comply with the Terms and Conditions and applicable legal requirements. Failure by a provider that received a payment to comply with any term or condition can result in action by HHS to recoup some or all of the payment. Per the Terms and Conditions, all recipients will be required to submit documents to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to coronavirus, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them. HHS monitors the funds distributed, and oversees payments to ensure that Federal dollars are used in accordance with applicable legal and program requirements. In addition, the HHS Office of the Inspector General fights fraud, waste and abuse in HHS programs, and may review these payments.

No. Providers do not need to be able to prove, at the time they accept a Provider Relief Fund payment that prior and/or future lost revenues and expenses attributable to COVID-19 (excluding those covered by other sources of reimbursement) meet or exceed their Provider Relief Fund payment. HHS expects that providers will only use Provider Relief Fund payments in accordance with legal and program requirements. These requirements specify that if, on June 30, 2021, providers have remaining Provider Relief Fund money that they cannot expend on permissible expenses or losses, then providers will return this money to HHS. HHS will provide directions in the future about how to return unused funds. The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions and legal requirements authorize HHS to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future to ensure that program requirements are met. HHS is authorized to recoup any Provider Relief Fund amounts that were made in error or exceed lost revenue or expenses due to COVID-19, or in cases of noncompliance with the Terms and Conditions.

If HHS identifies a payment made in error, HHS will recoup the erroneous amount.  If a provider receives a payment that is greater than expected and believes the payment was made in error, the provider should contact the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 (for TYY, dial 711) and seek clarification.

No, this is not a permissible use of Provider Relief Fund payments.

All recipients receiving payments under the Provider Relief Fund will be required to comply with the Terms and Conditions. Some Terms and Conditions relate to the provider's use of the funds, and thus they apply until the provider has exhausted these funds.  Other Terms and Conditions apply to a longer time period, for example, regarding maintaining all records pertaining to expenditures under the Provider Relief Fund payment for three years from the date of the final expenditure.

Unless the payment is associated with specific claims for reimbursement for COVID-19 testing or treatment provided on or after February 4, 2020 to uninsured patients, under the Terms and Conditions associated with payment, providers are eligible only if they provide or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19.

Not every possible case of COVID-19 is a presumptive case of COVID 19.

The Terms and Conditions state that none of the funds appropriated in this title shall be used to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other mechanism, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. The salary limitation is based upon the Executive Level II of the Federal Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 5, 2020, the Executive Level II salary is $197,300. For the purposes of the salary limitation, the direct salary is exclusive of fringe benefits and indirect costs. The limitation only applies to the rate of pay charged to Provider Relief Fund payments and other HHS awards. An organization receiving Provider Relief Funds may pay an individual's salary amount in excess of the salary cap with non-federal funds.

HHS has not yet detailed how recoupment or repayment will work. However, the Terms and Conditions associated with payment require that the Recipient be able to certify, among other requirements, that it was eligible to receive the funds (e.g., provides or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19) and that the funds were used in accordance with allowable purposes (e.g., to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus). Additionally, recipients must submit all required reports as determined by the Secretary.  Non-compliance with any term or condition is grounds for the Secretary to direct recoupment of some or all of the payments made. HHS will have significant anti-fraud monitoring of the funds distributed, and the Office of Inspector General will provide oversight as required in the CARES Act to ensure that Federal dollars are used appropriately.

The "statutory provisions" listed in the Terms and Conditions apply to the Provider Relief Fund payment associated with those Terms and Conditions.  Those statutory provisions may also independently apply to other government funding that you receive.

If an organization that sold, terminated, transferred, or otherwise disposed of a provider that was included in its most recent tax return gross receipts or sales (or program services revenue) figure can attest to meeting the Terms and Conditions, it may accept the funds. The Terms and Conditions place restrictions on how the funds can be used. In particular, all recipients will be required to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to coronavirus, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

No. A provider may not return a portion of a Provider Relief Fund payment. If a provider that sold a practice that was included in its most recent tax return gross receipts or sales (or program services revenue) figure can attest to meeting the Terms and Conditions, it may accept the funds. The Terms and Conditions place restrictions on how the funds can be used. In particular, all recipients will be required to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to coronavirus, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

Yes, a parent organization can accept and allocate General Distribution funds at its discretion to its subsidiaries, as long as the Terms and Conditions are met. Eligible health care entities, including those that are parent organizations must substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

Yes, as long as the Terms and Conditions are met. The parent organization (an eligible health care entity) must substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

No.  The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution to any of its subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

The parent entity must attest to the Terms and Conditions for the Targeted Distribution payment if it is the entity that received the payment. It may attest on behalf of any or all subsidiaries that qualified for a Targeted Distribution (i.e., Skilled Nursing Facility, Safety Net Hospital, Rural, Tribal, High Impact Area) payment.  The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution to any of its subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Yes, in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution up to its pro rata ownership share of the subsidiary to any of its other subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers. To determine whether an entity is the parent organization, the entity must follow the methodology used to determine a subsidiary in their financial statements. If none, the entity with a majority ownership (greater than 50 percent) will be considered the parent organization.

Yes, the parent organization with subsidiary billing TINs that received General Distribution payments may attest and keep the payments as long as providers associated with the parent organization were providing diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020 and can otherwise attest to the Terms and Conditions.  The parent organization can allocate funds at its discretion to its subsidiaries.

Until the purchase is complete, the organization should only report current gross receipts in its application and should exclude the practice it is intending to purchase. Any changes in ownership that have not occurred should not be included in your revenue submission. Submissions must be based on the organization that exists at the time of application, not a projection of expected lost revenue from the practice that is being acquired.

If the transaction is a purchase of the recipient entity (e.g., a purchase of its stock or membership interests), then the Provider Relief Fund recipient may continue to use the funds, regardless of its new owner. But if the transaction is an asset purchase (whether for some or all of the Provider Relief Fund recipient's assets), then the original recipient must use the funds for its eligible expenses and lost revenues and return any unused funds to HHS. In these circumstances, the Provider Relief Fund money does not transfer to the buyer, however, buyers in these circumstances will be eligible to apply for future Provider Relief Fund payments. If a bankrupt recipient is liquidated, it must similarly use the funds for its eligible expenses and lost revenues and return any unused funds to HHS.

Yes. If, as a result of the sale of a practice/hospital, the TIN that received a Provider Relief Fund payment did not provide diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020, the provider must reject the payment. The Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal will guide you through the attestation process to reject the payment.

No. A provider that sold its only practice or facility must reject the Provider Relief Fund payment because it cannot attest that it was providing diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020, as required by the Terms and Conditions. Seller organizations should not transfer a payment received from HHS to another entity. If the current TIN owner has not yet received any payment from the Provider Relief Fund, it may still receive funds in other distributions.

No. The new TIN owner cannot accept the payment from another entity nor attest to the Terms and Conditions on behalf of the previous owner in order to retain the Provider Relief Fund payment, including payment under the Nursing Home Infection Control Quality Incentive Program.  However, the new TIN owner may still receive funds in other distributions.

The applying organization should complete an application by listing the Billing TINs of the eligible subsidiaries that provide or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. In the application, the parent entity should enter the sum of all "gross sales or receipts" or "program service revenue" of all eligible subsidiary entities that provide or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 and enter the subsidiaries' Billing TINs in the applicable fields in the application form. Further, the parent entity should submit a statement on the first page of the uploaded tax return file stating (i) the parent entity's Filing TIN and (ii) a schedule of the eligible subsidiaries, their Billing TINs, and gross sales or receipts. Any revenues from subsidiaries that are not directly providing diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 may not be included.

RHCs that were issued a payment with the descriptor “HHSPAYMENT” or “COVID*RuralHealthTestingPmt*HHS.GOV” on or around May 20, 2020, June 9, 2020, December 7, 2020, and/or January 20, 2021, received these payments as part of RHC COVID-19 Testing Program.  HHS provided $49,461.42 for each eligible RHC with a unique CMS Certification Number (CCN) associated with an eligible Tax Identification Number (TIN). TIN organizations must report data associated with COVID-19 testing payments on the Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing Report Portal available at https://www.rhccovidreporting.com/.  For additional information, please visit HRSA’s website at https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/coronavirus/frequently-asked-questions#rhc. If you have additional questions please email [email protected] for technical assistance.

Yes. The Addendum to the 2020 Compliance Supplement, which is available here at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/, permits recipients, which include non-federal entities and commercial organizations, that received COVID-19 funding with original due dates from October 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, (which is applicable for fiscal year ends January 31, 2020 – September 30, 2020) an extension for up to three (3) months beyond the normal due date in the completion and submission of the Single Audit reporting package.  No further action by awarding agencies is required to enact this extension.  This extension does not require individual recipients and subrecipients to seek approval for the extension by the cognizant or oversight agency for audit; however, recipients and subrecipients should maintain documentation of the reason for the delayed filing.

Yes. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in OMB M-20-26, Extension of Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations, dated June 18, 2020, provided recipients, which include non-federal entities and commercial organizations, extensions beyond the normal due date to submit 2019 audit year reports. Please see the OMB website for more details: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/memoranda/. Recipients with questions about this extension should email HRSA's Division of Financial Integrity at [email protected].

Non-Federal Entities subject to Single Audit requirements can find guidance in the 2020 Compliance supplement addendum, which is available here at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-Compliance-Supplement-Addendum_Final.pdf.  The applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) are as follows: CFDA 93.498 for the Provider Relief Fund (General and Targeted Distributions) and CFDA 93.461 COVID-19 Testing for the Uninsured.

For providers who received the General or Targeted Distributions (CFDA 93.498) with fiscal years ending on or after December 31, 2020 the auditor will need to test compliance of the Provider Relief Fund report.  Providers who received $10,000 or more in aggregate Provider Relief Fund payments will need to submit a report on how they used the PRF payment, and for more information on how to accurately fill out these reports, please refer to https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/post-payment-notice-of-reporting-requirements-november-2020.pdf and https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/provider-relief-fund-general-distribution-faqs.pdf. 

Provider Relief Fund General and Targeted Distribution payments (CFDA 93.498) and Uninsured Testing and Treatment reimbursement payments (CFDA 93.461) to non-Federal entities are Federal awards and must be included in determining whether an audit in accordance with 45 CFR Part 75, Subpart F is required (i.e., annual total federal awards expended are $750,000 or more).

Audit reports must be submitted electronically to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

(Requirements for audit of payments to commercial organizations are discussed in a separate question.)

Commercial organizations that receive $750,000 or more in annual awards have two options under 45 CFR 75.216(d) and 75.501(i): 1) a financial related audit of the award or awards conducted in accordance with Government Auditing Standards; or 2) an audit in conformance with the requirements of 45 CFR 75 Subpart F.

Provider Relief Fund General and Targeted Distribution payments (CFDA 93.498) and Uninsured Testing and Treatment reimbursement payments (CFDA 93.461) must be included in determining whether an audit in accordance in accordance with 45 CFR Subpart F is required (i.e., annual total awards received are $750,000 or more).

Audit reports of commercial organizations must be submitted directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Audit Resolution Division at [email protected].

Recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments do not need to submit a separate quarterly report to HHS or the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.  HHS will develop a report containing all information necessary for recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments to comply with this provision.  For all providers who attest to receiving a Provider Relief Fund payment and agree to the Terms and Conditions (or retain such a payment for more than 90 days), HHS is posting the names of payment recipients and their payment amounts on its public website here.  HHS is also working with the Department of Treasury to reflect the aggregate total of each recipient's attested to Provider Relief Fund payments on USAspending.gov.  Posting these data meets the reporting requirements of the CARES Act.  See Appendix A of OMB Memo M-20-21 [Implementation Guidance for Supplemental Funding Provided in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)].

However, the Terms and Conditions for all Provider Relief Fund payments also require recipients to submit any reports requested by the Secretary that are necessary to allow HHS to ensure compliance with payment Terms and Conditions.  HHS will be requiring recipients to submit future reports relating to the recipient's use of its PRF money.  For more information on these requirements, please visit www.hhs.gov/providerrelief.

Recipient must follow CMS instructions for completion of cost reports available at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/Paper-Based-Manuals-Items/CMS021935

Under cost-based reimbursement, the payer agrees to reimburse the provider for the costs incurred in providing services to the insured population. In these instances, if the full cost was reimbursed based upon this method, there is nothing eligible to report as an expense attributable to coronavirus because the expense was fully reimbursed by another source. Provider Relief Fund payments cannot be used to cover costs that are reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.  Therefore, if Medicare or Medicaid makes a payment to a provider based on the provider’s Medicare or Medicaid cost, such payment generally is considered to fully reimburse the provider for the costs associated with providing care to Medicare or Medicaid patients and no money from the PRF would be available for those identified Medicare and Medicaid costs.  However, in cases where a ceiling is applied to the cost reimbursement or the costs are not reimbursed under cost-based reimbursement (such as costs for care to commercial payer patients) since the reimbursed amount by Medicare or Medicaid does not fully cover the actual cost, those non-reimbursed costs are eligible for reimbursement under the Provider Relief Fund.

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 costs, after netting the other funds received or obligated to be received which offset those expenses. The Provider Relief Fund permits reimbursement of marginal increased expenses related to coronavirus provided those expenses have not been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are not obligated to reimburse. 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)

Time spent by staff on COVID-19-specific matters may be an allowable cost attributable to coronavirus so long as it was not reimbursed or obligated to be reimbursed by other sources. If the personnel salaries are reimbursed by any other source of funding they cannot be also reimbursed by the Provider Relief Fund. In addition, no one individual may be allocated as greater than one full-time equivalent (FTE) across all sources of funding.  All costs must be tangible expenses (not opportunity costs) and must be supported by documentation.

The Reporting Entity must maintain appropriate records and cost documentation including, as applicable, documentation described in 45 CFR § 75.302 – Financial management and 45 CFR § 75.361 through 75.365 – Record Retention and Access, and other information required by future program instructions to substantiate the reimbursement of costs under this award.  The Recipient must promptly submit copies of such records and cost documentation upon the request of the Secretary, and the Reporting Entity agrees to fully cooperate in all audits the Secretary, Inspector General, or Pandemic Response Accountability Committee conducts to ensure compliance with these Terms and Conditions.

Yes. Providers may not use PRF payments to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse. Therefore, if a hospital has received Medicaid DSH payments for the uncompensated costs of furnishing inpatient and/or outpatient hospital services to Medicaid beneficiaries and to individuals with no source of third party coverage for the services, these expenses would be considered reimbursed by the Medicaid program and would not be eligible to be covered by money received from a General or Targeted Distribution payment. Read more about the calculation of the Medicaid hospital-specific DSH limit.

Reporting Entities that received General and Targeted Distribution payments will submit a consolidated report through the Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal. 

Unreimbursed expenses attributable to coronavirus are considered first in the overall use of funds calculation. Provider Relief Fund payment amounts not fully expended on unreimbursed healthcare related expenses attributable to coronavirus are then applied to lost revenues for 2020.

Yes, if funds were held in an interest-bearing account, they would be considered reportable revenue. If interest is earned on Provider Relief Fund disbursements that the Reporting Entity expended in full, the interest amounts may be retained and applied toward a reportable use of funds.

If interest is earned on funds that are only partially expended, the interest on remaining unused funds must be calculated, reported, and returned.

Yes.   When reporting use of Provider Relief Fund money toward lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, Reporting Entities may use budgeted revenues if the budget(s) and associated documents covering calendar year 2020 were established and approved on or before March 26, 2020.  To be considered an approved budget, the budget must have been ratified, certified, or adopted by the Reporting Entity’s financial executive or executive officer as of that date, and the Reporting Entity will be required to attest that the budget was established and approved on or before March 26, 2020.  Documents related to the budget, including the approval, must be maintained in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.

No.  As it relates to expenses, providers identify their health care-related expenses, and then apply any amounts received through other sources (e.g., direct patient billing, commercial insurance, Medicare/Medicaid/CHIP, reimbursement from the Provider Relief Fund COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured, or funds received from FEMA or SBA/Department of Treasury's Paycheck Protection Program) that offset the health care-related expenses.  Provider Relief Fund payments may be applied to the remaining expenses or cost, after netting the other funds received or obligated to be received which offset those expenses.

Yes, expenses incurred by providers to secure and maintain adequate personnel, such as offering hiring bonuses and retention payments, child care, transportation, and temporary housing, are deemed to be COVID-19-related expenses if the activity generating the expense was newly incurred after the declaration of the Public Health Emergency and the expenses were necessary to secure and maintain adequate personnel.

Yes, outsourced or third-party vendor services that enable sustained access to health care services and daily operations, such as food/patient nutrition services, facilities management, laundering, and disinfection/anti-contamination services, are considered reimbursable expenses if they are attributable to coronavirus.

Yes. HHS considers taxes imposed on Provider Relief Fund payments to be "healthcare related expenses attributable to coronavirus" that are reimbursable with Provider Relief Fund money, except for Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution payments.

As it relates to expenses, providers identify their health care-related expenses, and then apply any amounts received through other sources (e.g., direct patient billing, commercial insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, reimbursement from the Provider Relief Fund COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured, or funds received from FEMA or SBA/Department of Treasury's Paycheck Protection Program) that offset the health care-related expenses.  Provider Relief Fund payments may be applied to the remaining expenses or cost, after netting the other funds received or obligated to be received which offset those expenses.

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.

For additional information on capital depreciation, please refer to the other Frequently Asked Questions related to capital equipment and capital facility projects.

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

No, healthcare related expenses are no longer netted against the patient care lost revenue amount in Step 2. A revised notice was posted to remove this language.

Direct employee (full and part-time), contract labor, and temporary worker expenses are eligible expenses provided they are not reimbursed from other sources, or only the incremental unreimbursed amounts are claimed.

The Terms and Conditions associated with each Provider Relief Fund payment do not permit recipients to use Provider Relief Fund money to pay salaries at a rate in excess of Executive Level II which is currently set at $197,300. For the purposes of the salary limitation, the direct salary is exclusive of fringe benefits and indirect costs. The limitation only applies to the rate of pay charged to Provider Relief Fund payments and other HHS awards. An organization receiving Provider Relief Fund payments may pay an individual's salary amount in excess of the salary cap with non-federal funds.

An example of how this Executive Level II Salary cap is applied to aggregated personnel expenses is shown below. Reimbursement from other sources is applied in Step Two. Providers should apply reasonable assumptions when estimating the portion of personnel costs that are reimbursed from other sources.

Step One

Step Two

Yes, fringe benefits associated with both types of personnel may be eligible if not reimbursed by other sources.

Providers should calculate incremental G&A expenses incurred that were attributable to coronavirus and then estimate the portion of those expenses that were not covered through operational revenues, other direct assistance, donations or other sources.

Examples may include expenses such as:

Hiring additional security personnel, increased hazard pay, increased cost of utilities to operate temporary facilities, or similar items attributable to the coronavirus that were not normally incurred.

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.

Revenue from Patient Care Payer Mix (2019 and 2020, and for some recipients, 2021 where applicable)

1. Medicare Part A+B: The actual revenues/net charges received from Medicare Part A+B for patient care for the calendar year.
2. Medicare Part C: The actual revenues/net charges received from Medicare Part C for patient care for the calendar year.
3. Medicaid: The actual revenues/net charges received from Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for patient care for the calendar year.
4. Commercial Insurance: The actual revenues/net charges received from commercial payers for patient care for the calendar year.
5. Self-Pay (No Insurance): The actual revenues/net charges received from self-pay patients, including the uninsured or individuals without insurance who bear the burden of paying for healthcare themselves, for the calendar year.
6. Other: The actual gross revenues/net charges from other sources received for patient care services and not included in the list above for the calendar year.

Note: All sources of patient care revenue should be reported net of uncollectible patient service revenue recognized as bad debts.

HHS initially advised providers that once a subsidiary TIN attested to and accepted a General Distribution payment, the money must stay with, and be used by, the subsidiary TIN.  However, HHS has received feedback indicating that some subsidiary TINs accepted a General Distribution payment prior to the release of this guidance, and that they would have had their parent TIN accept the money, had they known earlier of HHS's position.  In light of these timing concerns, HHS is revising its prior guidance and clarifying that, for General Distribution payments only, a subsidiary TIN can transfer its General Distribution payment to a parent TIN; this is true even if a subsidiary TIN initially attested to accepting a General Distribution payment.  Consistent with other longstanding guidance, the parent TIN may use the money and/or allocate the money to other subsidiary TINs, as it deems appropriate.

Regardless of which entity (the parent or subsidiary) attested to the receipt of the General Distribution payments, the parent entity can report on the use of the General Distribution payment as part of the HHS reporting process.

No external documentation is required at the time information is submitted via the reporting portal.  Supporting worksheets (for providers who received $500,000 or above in Provider Relief Fund payments) will be included to assist providers within the reporting tool.

Providers need to retain original documentation for three years after the date of submission of the final expenditure report, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.333.

HHS initially advised providers that once a subsidiary TIN attested to and accepted a General Distribution payment, the money must stay with, and be used by, the subsidiary TIN.  However, HHS has received feedback indicating that some subsidiary TINs accepted a General Distribution payment prior to the release of this guidance, and that they would have had their parent TIN accept the money, had they known earlier of HHS's position.  In light of these timing concerns, HHS is revising its prior guidance and clarifying that, for General Distribution payments only, a subsidiary TIN can transfer its General Distribution payment to a parent TIN; this is true even if a subsidiary TIN initially attested to accepting a General Distribution payment.  Consistent with other longstanding guidance, the parent TIN may use the money and/or allocate the money to other subsidiary TINs, as it deems appropriate. Regardless of which entity (the parent or subsidiary) attested to the receipt of the General Distribution payments, the parent entity can report on the use of the General Distribution payment as part of the HHS reporting process.

The following chart outlines Provider Relief Fund reporting actions in the event of change of ownership of a subsidiary that received Provider Relief Fund dollars.

1. Full-time: personnel employed on average 30 hours of service per week, or 130 hours for a calendar month.
2. Part-time: personnel employed any time between 1 and 34 hours per week, whom may or may not qualify for benefits.
3. New hires: personnel not previously employed by the employer; or previously employed but voluntarily or involuntarily separated for at least 60 consecutive days. 
4. Re-hires: personnel that left a company due to voluntary or involuntary separation and are brought back to work by employer.
5. Voluntary separation: personnel voluntarily submits a written or verbal notice of resignation.
6. Involuntary separation: management decides to terminate its relationship with an employee because of either economic necessity or poor fit; includes lay-offs and expired contracts.
7. Furloughed: when a staff member involuntarily takes unpaid leave of absences.
8. Leave of Absence: personnel voluntarily take an extended period of time away from work while still maintaining their employee status; can be paid or unpaid.

Note: Definitions of personnel are derived from either the Internal Revenue Service or the National Institute for Aging, as applicable.

1. Inpatient Admissions: someone admitted to the hospital on a doctor's order (i.e. direct admit); someone formally admitted from the Emergency Room to the hospital (i.e. emergency admission).
2. Outpatient Admissions: also called a department use/event/encounter is made during the person's visit to the healthcare center that provides health and medical services but does not require stay exceeding 23 hours.
3. Emergency Visit: someone seen in an Emergency Department for care/treatment of an acute episode; following treatment or stabilization the patient is discharged back to their primary place of residence. This may include patients on observation status who are cared for no longer than 72 hours but not formally admitted to a hospital.

A patient that is admitted to a Nursing Home or Skilled Care Facility (with at least 6 beds) for continued short or long term care.

A staffed bed is licensed and physically available with staff on hand to attend to patients; includes both occupied and available beds.

The parent organization as the original recipient of the payment must report on the use of funds in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. 

The subsidiary as the original recipient of the payment must report on the use of funds in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. 

Reporting Entities that received General and Targeted Distribution payments will submit a consolidated report through the Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal. 

No. Recipients have multiple options to calculate lost revenue as outlined in the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements.  However, for each of these options, the Reporting Entity must report revenue for the full calendar year 2020. If funds were not expended in full by December 31, 2020, then a second and final report will be required on use of funds for the period January 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021, which is due no later than July 31, 2021.

A Reporting Entity must report only when they have retained over $10,000 in aggregated Provider Relief Fund dollars.

Reporting Entities are required to submit actual patient care revenue for calendar years 2019 and 2020 in order to inform program integrity and HRSA’s audit strategy.  

All recipients of aggregated Provider Relief Fund payments greater than $10,000 may register to report on use of funds as of December 31, 2020 starting January 15, 2021.  The opening of the portal for reporting on use of funds is being delayed past January 15.  In the near future, HRSA will announce the window for submitting the first report on a recipient's use of funds.

Recipients with funds unexpended after December 31, 2020, have six more months from January 1 – June 30, 2021 to use remaining funds, and then must submit a second and final report no later than July 31, 2021.

To calculate lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, providers are required to report revenues received from Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, and other sources for patient care services.  Other sources include fundraising revenues, grants or donations if they contribute to funding patient care services.

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.

Primary TIN refers to the TIN of the parent company, and subsidiary TIN refers to the TIN of an entity that is a subsidiary of the parent company. Providers may have received payments directly to a parent and/or its subsidiary entities.

Some recipients may be individual providers for whom their TIN will be their SSN; similarly, for some entities the TIN will be the EIN.

Details on how to return unused amounts will be provided in advance of the second 2021 reporting deadline, which is July 31, 2021.

If the provider includes entrance fee amortization as operating revenue on its financial statements, it should be considered as revenue associated with patient services. Entrance fee amortization must be handled in a consistent manner in both 2019 and 2020.

"Lost revenue attributable to coronavirus" is calculated based on operating revenue from patient care sources. Shareholder and partnership payments are not eligible to be included in the lost revenue calculation.

A portion of a Provider Relief Fund recipient's state provider taxes may be eligible expenses, but only to the extent the Provider Relief Fund recipient owes incrementally increased state provider taxes, where the incremental increase is attributable to coronavirus.

Yes.  The costs associated with administering a vaccine to a patient with Medicare Part A, but not Part B, coverage would be considered unreimbursed under the Provider Relief Fund, and payments could be used to cover incurred expenses.

Provider Relief Fund payments may be used to support expenses associated with distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine licensed or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that have not been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are not obligated to reimburse.  Funds may also be used ahead of an FDA-licensed or authorized vaccine becoming available.  This may include using funds to purchase additional refrigerators or freezers, personnel costs to provide vaccinations, and transportation costs not otherwise reimbursed. 

In line with the Terms and Conditions, funds may not be used to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse, which include, but is not limited to, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. If reimbursement does not cover the full expense of administering vaccines, Provider Relief Funds may be used to cover the remaining associated costs.

The prohibition on balance billing applies to "all care for a presumptive or actual case of COVID-19." A presumptive case of COVID-19 is a case where a patient's medical record documentation supports a diagnosis of COVID-19, even if the patient does not have a positive in vitro diagnostic test result in his or her medical record. Dental providers who are not caring for patients with presumptive or actual cases of COVID-19 would not be subject to this provision.

No. As set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the prohibition on balance billing applies to "all care for a presumptive or actual case of COVID-19."

The Terms and Conditions do not impose any limitations on the ability of a provider to submit a claim for payment to the patient's insurance company. However, an out-of-network provider delivering COVID-19-related care to an insured patient may not seek to collect from the patient out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, copayments, or balance billing, in an amount greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider.

A presumptive case of COVID-19 is a case where a patient's medical record documentation supports a diagnosis of COVID-19, even if the patient does not have a positive in vitro diagnostic test result in his or her medical record.

Providers accepting the Provider Relief Fund payment should submit a claim to the patient's health insurer for their services. Most health insurers have publicly stated their commitment to reimbursing out-of-network providers that treat health plan members for COVID-19-related care at the insurer's prevailing in-network rate. If the health insurer is not willing to do so, the out-of-network provider may seek to collect from the patient out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, copayments, or balance billing, in an amount that is no greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider.

HHS will apportion relief funds to US healthcare providers with the intention of optimizing the beneficial impact of the funds.

HHS is not taking direct inquiries from providers, and no remedy or appeals process will be available. For additional information, please call the provider support line at (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711).

There is no appeals or dispute process.

HHS has posted a public list of providers and their payments once they attest to receiving the money and agree to the Terms and Conditions. All providers that received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund and retain that payment for at least 90 days without rejecting the funds are deemed to have accepted the Terms and Conditions. Providers that affirmatively attest through the Payment Attestation Portal or that retain the funds past 90 days, but do not attest, will be included in the public release of providers and payments. The list includes current total amounts attested to by providers from each of the Provider Relief Fund distributions, including the General Distribution and Targeted Distributions.

The Provider Relief Fund data represent providers that received one or more payments from the Provider Relief Fund and that have attested to receiving at least one payment and agreed to the associated Terms and Conditions. If a provider has received more than one payment but has not accepted all of the payments (by attesting and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions), only the dollar amount associated with the accepted payment or payments will appear. These data displayed on the website will be updated biweekly.

Provider Relief Fund payments are being made to providers or groups of providers that are organized within a Tax Identification Number (TIN). The information displayed is of providers by billing TIN that have received at least one payment, which they have attested to, and the address associated with that billing TIN. Providers will not be listed if they have not yet attested to the payment terms and conditions or if they are within a larger billing entity that received payment. In addition, the address listed for the billing TIN often corresponds with the billing location (based on CMS's Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)), and may not align with the physical location of a health care practice site. Updated data will be made available on the the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website.

HHS does not have plans to include additional data fields in the public list of providers and payments.

No. To ensure transparency, HHS will publish the names of payment recipients and the amounts accepted and attested to by the payment recipient.