COVID-19: CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

Introduction

In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government is providing support to healthcare providers fighting the pandemic. The CARES Act provides relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. This funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get testing and treatment for COVID-19.

In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal government is providing support to healthcare providers fighting the pandemic. The CARES Act provides relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. This funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get testing and treatment for COVID-19.

Disclaimer Regarding Guidance: The information provided is intended to provide general guidance. It is not intended to serve as medical, health, legal or financial advice or as a substitute for professional advice from a healthcare consultant, legal counsel or another professional advisor. In no event, will Experity be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this guidance.

This is a living document that will be updated as this situation evolves. This version is current to what we know on April 28, 2020 at 12:57 pm.

The CARES Act contains $100 billion in relief funds to providers for expenses related to COVID-19. These monies are divided into two groups: general and targeted allocation.

Information on this fund can be found at https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/index.html.

General Distribution

Half of the Provider Relief Fund is allocated for general distribution to Medicare providers based on eligible providers’ 2018 net patient revenue.

Expedited Payment

$30 billion of the general fund was distributed automatically the week of 04/10/2020. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) based the payment on fee-for-service reimbursements in 2019.

Providers were paid via Automated Clearing House (ACH) account information on file with UnitedHealth Group or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The automatic payments went to providers via Optum Bank with “HHSPAYMENT” as the payment description.

An attestation is required within 30 days of payment to confirm receipt of the funds and agree to the terms and conditions. The attestation portal is available at https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1.

The terms and conditions are available for your review.

Additional Allocation

The additional $20 billion began to be distributed on 04/24/2020 on a rolling basis. This is not automatic for providers that do not file a cost report. Revenue information needs to be submitted in the General Distribution Panel to be considered.

To apply, practices must have received a payment from the initial allocation by 5:00 pm EST on 04/24/2020, must have billed Medicare in 2019 and provided care for possible or actual cases of COVID-19 after 01/31/2020.

A FAQ regarding this General Distribution and a user guide are available for more information.

Targeted Allocation

The remaining $50 billion in the fund is for the uninsured, hospitals in high impact areas, rural providers, and Indian Health Service. Separate funding is available for skilled nursing facilities, dentists, and providers that solely take Medicaid.

For updates on this topic and more, go to Experity COVID-19 Resources.