Tag: Provider Relief Fund

The Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal is Now Open!

Reporting Period 4 The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is now open for Reporting Period 4 (RP4). Providers who received a PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payment(s), exceeding $10,000 in the aggregate, from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 are required to report on their use of funds during RP4. The…

Provider Relief Fund: Extended Deadline to Submit Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances

The deadline for providers to request to submit a late Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Period 2 (RP2) report has been extended to May 18th at 11:59 pm ET. Providers may submit a request if certain extenuating circumstances prevented them from submitting their RP2 report by the initial deadline (March 31, 2022). Requests to submit a late report must be completed via the PRF Reporting Portal.

If you did not submit your Reporting Period 2 (RP2) report by the March 31, 2022 deadline, you may request to submit a late RP2 report if certain extenuating circumstances exist. Requests must be submitted by the May 18 deadline to be
considered. Providers who fail to take advantage of this opportunity will be required to return all funds in order to be compliant with Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions.

What reasons constitute extenuating circumstances?

  • Severe illness or death – a severe medical condition or death of a provider or key staff member responsible for reporting hindered the organization’s ability to complete the report during the Reporting Period.
  • Impacted by natural disaster – a natural disaster occurred during or in close proximity of the end of the Reporting Period damaging the organization’s records or information technology.
  • Lack of receipt of reporting communications – an incorrect email or mailing address on file with HRSA prevented the organization from receiving instructions prior to the Reporting Period deadline.
  • Failure to click “submit” – the organization registered and prepared a report in the PRF Reporting Portal, but failed to take the final step to click “submit” prior to deadline.
  • Internal miscommunication or error – Internal miscommunication or error regarding the individual who was authorized and expected to submit the report on behalf of the organization and/or the registered point of contact in the PRF Reporting Portal.
  • Incomplete Targeted Distribution payments – the organization’s parent entity completed all General Distribution payments, but a Targeted Distribution(s) was not reported on by the subsidiary.

Providers whose RP2 request is approved and who submit a completed report within the designated timeframe will be deemed in compliance with their reporting requirements and will not be required to return funds.

Next Steps

To submit a request:

  1. Complete registration in the PRF Reporting Portal prior to submitting a request. Providers who have already registered in the Portal do not need to register again. Registration instructions are on the PRF Reporting webpage.
  2. Submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances Form by May 18, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET. You must indicate and attest to a clear and concise explanation related to the applicable extenuating circumstance; however, supporting documentation will not be required.
  3. If HRSA approves the request, your organization will receive a notification to proceed with completing the RP2 report.
  4. If approved, you will have 10 days from the date you received the notification to submit a completed report in the PRF Reporting Portal.

More Information

For additional information, review the Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances Webpage, or call the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY dial 711. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, Monday
through Friday.

Provider Relief Fund: Extended Deadline to Submit Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances

The deadline for providers to request to submit a late Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Period 2 (RP2) report has been extended to May 18th at 11:59 pm ET. Providers may submit a request if certain extenuating circumstances prevented them from submitting their RP2 report by the initial deadline (March 31, 2022). Requests to submit a late report…

Private Duty Home Care Deserves Provider Relief

The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund has been a lifesaver to thousands of health care providers across the country. Through the fund distributions, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been able to stabilize access to care during the Public Health Emergency and help preserve the health care infrastructure for the post-pandemic future. We very much appreciate Congressional action creating the fund and the swift actions taken by HHS to prioritize the distribution of the funds.

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice strongly believes direct relief funds should be provided to personal care home care providers, and we are advocating directly to congressional leadership on this issue.

NAHC firmly believes Congress must take immediate steps to provide funds to an essential part of our health care system that, to date, has not received this crucial support. Home care companies that serve millions of Americans with vital personal health care supports, such as assistance with the administration of prescribed medications, exercise programs that maintain and improve functional capabilities, hygiene, feeding, and numerous Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are a core part of community-based health care. These services, and the dedicated caregivers that provide them, have been uniformly recognized as essential health care providers by state and federal policymakers. However, the companies that provide this care have not received any Provider Relief Fund support since the creation of the Fund, except where those companies bill Medicare and/or Medicaid.

The companies that have been left out so far do participate in many government health programs, such as the Veterans Administration and the Administration on Aging, along with providing services funded by long term care insurance and private payment from their patients. It is estimated that they serve several million senior citizens and persons with disabilities each year, avoiding the need for high-cost institutional care. We need these companies to be operating today and tomorrow to meet the needs of our growing aged population.

Support from the Provider Relief Fund would be consistent with other distributions that have occurred so far. These include distributions to home care agencies that provide this same care through Medicaid, assisted living facilities, and behavioral health providers. Similarly, HHS has provided funding supports beyond Medicare and Medicaid providers to dentists and behavioral health providers, among others. As such, the standards and structures are in place to allow these
companies to apply for funding.

As potential legislation is drafted to provide further COVID-19 PHE relief, we request that specific PRF funding be allocated for home care providers that have not previously qualified due to their not being Medicare and/or Medicaid providers. These providers have faced the same COVID-related challenges as their Medicare and Medicaid colleagues, including workforce shortages, added expenses for personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, and lost revenue due to added caregiver time properly performing COVID precautions and increased overtime expense.

Private duty home care providers are an essential part of allowing people to remain independent, living in their own homes, and slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 and its variants.

Private duty care providers have been on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, without the recognition and support they deserve. It is long past time to remedy that.

Private Duty Home Care Deserves Provider Relief

The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund has been a lifesaver to thousands of health care providers across the country. Through the fund distributions, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been able to stabilize access to care during the Public Health Emergency and help preserve the health care infrastructure for the post-pandemic future.…

HRSA Announces Opportunity for Providers to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances

Yesterday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced an opportunity for providers to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances for Reporting Period 1.

Some providers have informed the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that extenuating circumstances prevented them from submitting a completed Provider Relief Fund (PRF) report in Reporting Period 1. Today, HRSA is announcing an opportunity for providers to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances for PRF Reporting Period 1 if one or more of the extenuating circumstances described below apply.

The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances process is intended for providers who were required to report in an applicable reporting period, but extenuating circumstances prevented them from submitting a report by the required deadline.

From Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 22, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET, providers who did not submit their Reporting Period 1 report by the deadline may request to submit a late Reporting Period 1 report, via a DocuSign form, if certain extenuating circumstances exist.

During this process, a provider will chose which extenuating circumstance(s) prevented them from meeting the reporting deadline. The allowable reasons that constitute extenuating circumstances are as follows:

  • Severe illness or death – a severe medical condition or death of a provider or key staff member responsible for reporting hindered the organization’s ability to complete the report during the Reporting Period.
  • Impacted by natural disaster – a natural disaster occurred during or in close proximity of the end of the Reporting Period damaging the organization’s records or information technology.
  • Lack of receipt of reporting communications – an incorrect email or mailing address on file with HRSA prevented the organization from receiving instructions prior to the Reporting Period deadline.
  • Failure to click “submit” – the organization registered and prepared a report in the PRF Reporting Portal, but failed to take the final step to click “submit” prior to deadline.
  • Internal miscommunication or error – Internal miscommunication or error regarding the individual who was authorized and expected to submit the report on behalf of the organization and/or the registered point of contact in the PRF Reporting Portal.
  •  Incomplete Targeted Distribution payments – the organization’s parent entity completed all General Distribution payments, but a Targeted Distribution(s) was not reported on by the subsidiary.

Requests to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances must indicate and attest to a clear and concise explanation related to the applicable extenuating circumstance; however, supporting documentation will not be required. If HRSA approves the request, the organization will receive a notification to proceed with completing the Reporting Period 1 report. Providers will have 10 days from the date they receive the notification to submit a report in the PRF Reporting Portal.

Providers who plan to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances and have not registered in the PRF Reporting Portal, should complete registration now. Registration instructions are on the PRF Reporting Webpage.

Please note that providers will also have an opportunity to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances for Reporting Period 2 if the extenuating circumstances are applicable. Providers will receive a notification regarding the process to submit a request for RP2 in the coming weeks.

More information?

For additional information, you can call the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY dial 711. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.

HRSA Announces Opportunity for Providers to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances

Yesterday, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced an opportunity for providers to submit a Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances for Reporting Period 1. Some providers have informed the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that extenuating circumstances prevented them from submitting a completed Provider Relief Fund (PRF) report in Reporting…

Reminder: March 31 deadline to report on period 2 provider relief payments

Health care providers who received Provider Relief Fund payments exceeding $10,000 total between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, must report to the Health Resources and Services Administration by March 31 on how they used those funds or face enforcement actions such as repayment or exclusion from receiving or retaining future PRF payments.

The deadline to use these period 2 funds was Dec. 31, 2021.

Review the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements.

Upcoming reporting periods:

  • Reporting Period 3 opens on July 1, 2022
  • Reporting Period 4 opens on January 1, 2023

Providers who were required to report in Reporting Period 1, but did not report:

  • You are out of compliance with the PRF Terms and Conditions and must return your Payment Period 1 PRF payment(s) to HRSA.
  • Non-compliant providers will be excluded from receiving and/or retaining future PRF payments – including any applicable Phase 4 payments.
  • HRSA will seek repayment on all PRF payments received between April 10, 2020 – June 30, 2020 and not reported on during Reporting Period 1.
  • For more details on non-compliance, review the Reporting Non-Compliance Fact Sheet (PDF – 158 KB)

Reminder: March 31 deadline to report on period 2 provider relief payments

Health care providers who received Provider Relief Fund payments exceeding $10,000 total between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2020, must report to the Health Resources and Services Administration by March 31 on how they used those funds or face enforcement actions such as repayment or exclusion from receiving or retaining future PRF payments. The deadline…

NAHC to Congress: Private Duty Home Care Deserves Provider Relief

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice has written to the leadership of both parties in both houses of Congress to urge them to direct relief funds to personal care home care providers.

The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund has been a lifesaver to thousands of health care providers across the country. Through the fund distributions, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been able to stabilize access to care during the Public Health Emergency and help preserve the health care infrastructure for the post-pandemic future. We very much appreciate Congressional action creating the fund and the swift actions taken by HHS to prioritize the distribution of the funds.

NAHC firmly believse Congress must take immediate steps to provide funds to an essential part of our health care system that, to date, has not received this crucial support. Home care companies that serve millions of Americans with vital personal health care supports such as assistance with the administration of prescribed medications, exercise programs that maintain and improve functional capabilities, hygiene, feeding, and numerous Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are a core part of community-based health care. These services and the dedicated caregivers that provide these services have been uniformly recognized as essential health care providers by state and federal policymakers. However, the companies that provide this care have not received any Provider Relief Fund support since the creation of the Provider Relief Fund except where those companies bill Medicare and/or Medicaid.

The companies that have been left out so far do participate in many government health programs such as the Veterans Administration and Administration on Aging along with providing services funded by long term care insurance and private payment from their patients. It is estimated that they serve several million senior citizens and persons with disabilities each year, avoiding the need for high-cost institutional care. We need these companies to be operating today and tomorrow to meet the needs of our growing aged population.

Support from the Provider Relief Fund would be consistent with other distributions that have occurred so far. These include distributions to home care agencies that provide this same care through Medicaid, Assisted Living Facilities, and behavioral health providers. Similarly, HHS has provided funding supports beyond Medicare and Medicaid providers to dentists and behavioral health providers among others. As such, the standards and structures are in place to allow these companies to apply for funding.

As potential legislation is drafted to provide further COVID-19 PHE relief we request that specific PRF funding be allocated for home care providers that have not previously qualified due to their not being Medicare and/or Medicaid providers. These providers have faced all the same COVID related challenges as their Medicare and Medicaid colleagues including workforce shortages, added expenses for personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies, as well as lost revenue due to added caregiver time properly performing COVID precautions and increased overtime expense.

Additionally, we request that further relief is provided to Medicare home health and hospice providers through continued suspension of Medicare sequestration. From the early days of the PHE Congress took decisive action suspending sequestration providing home health and hospice agencies vital financial relief to weather added expenses and lost revenue brought on by the pandemic. Since that initial relief was passed as part of the CARES Act, Congress has continued that suspension, most recently in December. With the recent spread of the Omicron variant and action by HHS to extend the PHE it is clear we are not beyond the pandemic yet. As such we request the full two percent sequester be suspended through the end of the COVID-19 PHE or December 31, 2022. Home care and hospice providers will continue to need financial stability through the pandemic and suspension of the sequester offers a simple and efficient means.