CARES Act Provider Relief Fund: For Providers
On this page:
What is the Provider Relief Fund?
How To Apply for Phase 2 General Distribution
How To Attest to the Payment
Request Reimbursement for COVID-19 Testing and Treatment of the Uninsured
Terms and Conditions
Reporting Requirements and Auditing
What is the Provider Relief Fund?
The Provider Relief Fund supports healthcare providers in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPCHE), the federal government has allocated $175 billion in payments to be distributed through the Provider Relief Fund (PRF).
Qualified providers of health care, services, and support may receive Provider Relief Fund payments for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue due to COVID-19. Separately, the COVID-19 Uninsured Program reimburses providers for testing and treating uninsured individuals with COVID-19.
These distributions do not need to be repaid to the US government, assuming providers comply with the terms and conditions.
Any provider of health care, services, and support in a medical setting, at home, or in the community, including agencies (foster care, services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities), assisted living facilities, behavioral health services, case management, clinics, community-based social support, dental services, emergency services, home health, home-based social support, hospitals, non-emergent medical transport, nursing services, OB/GYN, pediatrics, primary care, other physician services, residential facilities, self-directed providers, and substance abuse facilities.
How to Apply for Phase 2 General Distribution
To be eligible to apply, the applicant must have either:
- Billed Medicare fee-for-service during the period of Jan.1, 2019-Dec. 31, 2019; or
- Be a Medicare Part A provider that experienced a change in ownership and billed Medicare fee-for-service in 2019 or 2020 that prevented the otherwise eligible provider from receiving Phase 1 General Distribution payment; or
- Billed Medicaid / CHIP programs or Medicaid managed care plans for health-related services between Jan. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2019; or
- Billed a health insurance company for oral healthcare-related services as a dental service provider; or
- Be a licensed dental service provider who does not accept insurance and has billed patients for oral healthcare-related services; or
- Be an approved assisted living facility.
Additionally, to be eligible to apply, the applicant must meet all of the following requirements:
- Filed a federal income tax return for fiscal years 2017, 2018, 2019; or be exempt from filing a return
- Provided patient care after January 31, 2020 (Note: patient care includes health care, services and support, as provided in a medical setting, at home, or in the community)
- Did not permanently cease providing patient care directly or indirectly
- For individuals, reported on Form 1040 (or other tax form) gross receipts or sales from providing patient care
Note: Receipt of funds from SBA and FEMA for coronavirus recovery or of Medicaid HCBS retainer payments does not preclude a healthcare provider from being eligible.
For detailed information on eligibility for Phase 2 General Distribution, read the Eligibility FAQs.
Providers that are not eligible for the Phase 2 General Distribution may be eligible for future distributions.
Applicants must enter their Tax ID Number (TIN) for validation in the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal by Sunday, September 13, 2020 at 11:59 pm ET to be considered for funding. All applicants who register by the deadline will be considered.
If the TIN is recognized, begin with Step 4. Recognized TINS are verified on a state-provided 3rd party list.
If the TIN is not recognized:
- Applicant registers in the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal and enters TIN.*
*Process applies only to Medicaid / CHIP / Dental / Assisted Living Facility providers - HHS shares unrecognized provider TINs with 3rd party validators, including Medicaid / CHIP agencies, dental organizations, national provider organizations, etc. (Timing: 7-10 business days)
- Validator reviews applicant information for eligibility (e.g. actively in practice, in good standing, etc.) and shares results with HRSA (Timing: 7-10 days)**
**Assumes validator responds within requested timeframe; majority of validators respond by requested deadline - HRSA accepts determination, updates portal, and notifies applicant they can apply (Timing: 3-5 business days)
- Applicant re-enters portal and completes application for payments (Timing: 10-14 business days)
Depending on TIN validation, disbursements generally take 5-7 weeks.
For more information on Tax ID Numbers (TINs), read the TIN Validation FAQs.
The application period closed on September 13, 2020 for new submissions.
To learn about the application process:
- Watch a recording: Register/log in to watch a previous webinar session. Please note: webinar recording references previous deadline of Aug. 28, 2020; deadline has been extended to Sept. 13, 2020
- Download a presentation that explains the steps to apply for funding
For reference:
- Application Instructions
- Sample Application Form For reference only. All applications must be submitted through the Provider Relief Application and Attestation Portal.
Required documentation:
- Most recent federal income tax return for 2017, 2018, or 2019, unless exempt
- Quarterly Federal Tax Return (IRS Form 941 for Q1 2020) or Federal Unemployment Tax Return (IRS Form 940)
- Revenue worksheet (if required by Field 15)
For detailed information about how to apply for Phase 2 General Distribution, read the Application Process FAQs.
Providers may receive up to a total of 2% of reported revenue from patient care.
- Payments will be disbursed on a rolling basis, as information is validated
- All Provider Relief Fund distributions will be paid to the Filing / Organizational TIN, and not directly to subsidiary TINs
For more detailed information on receiving payment, please see Provider Relief Fund FAQs
Recipients who receive Provider Relief Fund payments must accept or reject funds within 90 days* through the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal.
*Not actively attesting within 90 days will be viewed as acceptance.
- To accept payment, the recipient must agree to the terms and conditions of the payment.
- To reject payment, the recipient must return funds to HHS within 15 calendar days of the attestation and may still be considered for future distributions
Requirements from the Provider Relief Fund terms and conditions include (not exhaustive):
- To be eligible, provider must have provided diagnosis, testing, or care for actual or possible COVID-19 patients on or after Jan.31, 2020 (Note: HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19 for purposes of eligibility)
- Payment will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, and reimburse healthcare-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus
- Payment will not be used for expenses or losses that have been or will be reimbursed from other sources
- Recipient consents to public disclosure of payment
For information about how to accept the funds, see the Attestation FAQs, the Terms and Conditions FAQs, and review the Terms and Conditions.
For information about how to reject the funds, read the Rejecting Payments FAQs.
All recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments are required to comply with the reporting requirements described in the Terms and Conditions and specified in future directions issued by the HHS Secretary.
HHS will require recipients to submit future reports relating to the recipient's use of Provider Relief Fund money.
Provider Relief Fund payments may be used to cover lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 or health-related expenses purchased to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, including but not limited to:
- Supplies
- Equipment
- Workforce training
- Reporting COVID-19 test results to federal, state, or local governments
- Building or constructing temporary structures for COVID-19 patient care or non-COVID-19 patients in a separate area
- Acquiring additional resources, including facilities, supplies, or staffing to expand or preserve care delivery
- Developing and staffing emergency operation centers
Recipients of >$10,000 will be required to submit reports about the use of their Provider Relief Fund distribution distribution. See the General and Targeted Distribution Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirement.
For additional information, read the Auditing and Reporting Requirements FAQs.
How to Attest to the Payment
All recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments must sign an attestation within 90 days of the payment to confirm its receipt.
- To accept the funds, recipients must also agree to the distribution’s Terms and Conditions within 90 days of the payment.
- To reject the funds, recipients must return the funds within 15 calendar days of the attestation.
Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal
This portal is currently open to recipients who have received a payment from the Phase 2 General Distribution, including Medicaid, CHIP, dental, certain Medicare and other providers.
CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Attestation Portal
This portal is currently open to recipients who received a payment from any of the Phase 1 General Distributions and select Targeted Distributions listed below.
Phase 1 General Distribution
- Initial $30 Billion General Distribution
- $20 Billion General Distribution
Select Targeted Distributions
- COVID-19 High-Impact Area Distribution
- Rural Distribution
- Allocation for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)
- Allocation for Indian Health Services (IHS)
- Allocation for Safety Net Hospitals
- Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution
Request Reimbursement for COVID-19 Testing and Treatment of the Uninsured
Health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing or provided treatment for uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis can electronically request claims reimbursement. They will be reimbursed generally at Medicare rates, subject to available funding.
COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal
This portal is for providers to seek reimbursement for COVID-19 testing and treatment of uninsured individuals on or after February 4, 2020.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions | Description |
---|---|
Phase 2 General Distribution Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipients have received a payment appropriated as part of Phase 2 General Distribution, including Medicaid, CHIP, dental, and other providers. |
The recipient automatically received payment from the initial $30 billion general distribution. |
|
The recipient has received payment from the additional $20 billion general distribution. |
|
High Impact Area Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received payment from funds appropriated as part of the targeted allocations known as the High Impact Area Targeted Distribution. |
Rural Targeted Distribution | The recipient has received payment from fundsappropriated as part of the targeted allocations known as the Rural Targeted Distribution. |
Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Testing Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received payment from funds appropriated in the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for COVID-19 testing and related expenses. |
$4.9 Billion Skilled Nursing Facility Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received payment from funds appropriated as part of the targeted allocations. |
$2.5 billion Nursing Home Infection Control Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received payment from funds appropriated as part of the targeted allocations in the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution. |
Indian Health Service Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received a payment from the Tribal Distribution, part of the targeted allocations. |
Safety Net Provider Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions | The recipient has received a payment appropriated as part of the safety net targeted distribution. |
The recipient plans to submit claims for reimbursement for COVID-19 testing and/or testing related items and services provided to FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) Uninsured Individuals. |
|
The recipient plans to submit claims for reimbursement for care or treatment related to positive diagnoses of COVID-19 provided to individuals who do not have any health care coverage at the time the services were provided. |
Reporting Requirements and Auditing
All recipients of Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments are required to comply with the reporting requirements described in the Terms and Conditions and specified in future directions issued by the Secretary.
For Recipients of Payments more than $10,000
UPDATE: On July 20, 2020, HHS issued a public notice about forthcoming reporting requirements for certain recipients that accepted one or more payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate funding from the Provider Relief Fund program. The reporting notice initially advised recipients that additional details regarding data elements would be provided by August 17, 2020. HRSA is continuing to refine its data elements and will provide those additional details at a date later than August 17, 2020. Recipients will still be given the detailed PRF reporting instructions and a data collection template with the necessary data elements they will be asked to submit well in advance of the reporting system being made available – which is currently targeted for October 1, 2020. Providers should continue to check this website for the latest updates.
The purpose of this notice is to inform Provider Relief Fund (PRF) recipients that received one or more payments exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate from the PRF of the timing of future reporting requirements. Detailed instructions regarding these reports will soon be made available.
General and Targeted Distribution Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirement
Auditing
The recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments may be subject to auditing to ensure the accuracy of the data submitted to HHS for payment. Any recipients identified as having provided inaccurate information to HHS will be subject to payment recoupment and other legal action. Further, all recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments shall 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 that recipients used all Provider Relief Fund payments appropriately.
Upon the request of the Secretary, the recipient shall promptly submit copies of such records and cost documentation and the recipient must fully cooperate in all audits the Secretary, Inspector General, or Pandemic Response Accountability Committee conducts to ensure compliance with applicable Terms and Conditions. Deliberate omission, misrepresentation, or falsification of any information contained in payment applications or future reports may be punishable by criminal, civil, or administrative penalties, including but not limited to revocation of Medicare billing privileges, exclusion from federal health care programs, and/or the imposition of fines, civil damages, and/or imprisonment.
For more details, please refer to the Terms and Conditions associated with each payment distribution and the Reporting Requirements and Auditing FAQs.
For additional assistance applying, please call the provider support line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY dial 711. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
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