HHS Further Extends Provider Relief Application Deadline
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that it is extending the deadline for eligible Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and dental providers that have been impacted by COVID-19 to apply for $15 billion in Provider Relief Funding. HHS is also giving Medicare providers a second chance to apply for funding under the Provider Relief General Distribution.
Under the Medicaid/CHIP/dental targeted distribution, eligible providers may receive up to 2 percent of reported revenue from patient/resident care. The application deadline, which had previously been extended to Aug. 3rd, has been further extended to offer providers additional opportunity to apply for funding. Your organization must act by Fri., Aug. 28, 2020 to be considered for payment from this distribution. Read more about the extension here.
The application instructions and application form are available here. These documents should be reviewed before applying through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal. The site also includes a webcast recording, Fact Sheet, and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which are frequently updated. To apply, your organization must submit its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for validation through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal by Aug. 28, 2020. If you receive the results of that validation after Aug. 28th, you will still be able to complete and submit your application.
Beginning next week, HHS will also allow Medicare providers that missed the opportunity to apply for additional funding from the $20 billion portion of the $50 billion Phase 1 Medicare General Distribution. In April, to expedite distribution of funding, HHS distributed $30 billion directly to Medicare providers based on 2019 Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) payments. This was part one of the $50 billion Phase 1 Medicare General Distribution, which sought to offer providers financial relief equal to 2 percent of their annual revenues. Providers that did not submit Medicare cost reports were asked to submit revenue information to a portal to receive the balance of their 2 percent payment of General Distribution funds. Some providers, including many Medicaid, CHIP, and dental providers with low Medicare revenues, did not apply by the deadline for this $20 billion round of funding. HHS is now giving those eligible providers another opportunity to apply by Aug. 28, 2020 for the balance of their additional funding of up to 2 percent of their annual patient revenues. More information on this opportunity is posted here.
For additional information, please call the Health Resources and Services Administration’s provider support line at 866-569-3522; for TTY, dial 711. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Service staff members are available to provide real-time technical assistance, as well as service and payment support. Further information on the Provider Relief Fund and other forms of financial assistance for not-for-profit long term care providers and housing operators is available in LeadingAge NY’s guide, COVID-19 Financial Assistance Opportunities for Not-for-Profit Providers.
Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866