WASHINGTON, DC – HHS is accepting applications from Medicare, Medicaid, and/or CHIP providers until August 28 for the General Distribution Provider Relief Fund at the new Application and Attestation Portal. This is an opportunity for providers that did not receive the full relief payment of 2% of net patient revenue to apply.

Last week, HHS hosted a webinar regarding the most recent changes with the General Distribution funding. You can watch the full recording of the webinar here. During the webinar, HHS representatives encouraged eligible providers to start the application process as soon as possible. As part of the application process, providers are required to validate their TIN, which can take up to 7-10 days.

More information on the 6 stages of the payment process can be found here. HHS also clarifies in the FAQ that providers that submitted an application for the General Distribution Tranche 2 payment would need to re-submit financial information in the new Portal. In addition, providers that previously rejected payments may re-apply for this funding. Below are some other useful resources for providers:

• Provider Relief Fund Page For Providers: Information on eligibility, application process, attestation process, and reporting requirements.
• Provider Relief Fund Support Line at (866) 569-3522: A good resource for application specific questions.

Updated Info for Suppliers Receiving $10,000+ Through Provider Relief Fund
In the Terms and Conditions for all Provider Relief Fund payments, it states that providers that receive $150,000 or more in aggregate from the CARES Act Relief will be required to submit a quarterly report to demonstrate compliance. However, in the General and Targeted Distribution Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements published on August 14, HHS seems to have made two changes to this requirement:

1. Extends the reporting requirement for providers that received more than $10,000 in aggregate.
2. Requires just one report instead of a quarterly report.

This change is expected to impact significantly more providers who previously were not required to submit a report. The reporting system is slated to be available starting October 1, 2020. Providers will be required to submit a report on their expenditures. Reports are due by February 15, 2021. HHS will be publishing more information on this soon. AAHomecare will continue to monitor this new development.