In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $100 billion dollars to healthcare providers as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). 

Of the $100 billion, $50 billion is a general allocation of funds to providers.  For that $50 billion general allocation:

• HHS began distribution of the first $30 billion Friday, April 10. 
• HHS began distribution of the additional $20 billion on Friday, April 24. 
• This money will be used to provide relief to health care providers and is based on the net patient revenues of healthcare providers. 

The additional $20 billion will be distributed in a fashion so that the full $50 billion has been allocated based on providers net patient service revenue as reported in CMS cost reports or on their tax filings.

A portion of providers were automatically sent an advance payment based off the revenue data they submitted in CMS cost reports. Providers without adequate cost report data on file need to submit their revenue information to the General Distribution Portal for additional general distribution funds.

Providers who receive their money automatically will still need to submit their revenue information so that it can be verified via the General Distribution Portal.

Healthcare providers looking to apply for these funds should use the following link for the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal: https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1. 

Healthcare providers receiving funds from the general distribution will need to sign an attestation confirming the receipt of funds, agree to the terms and conditions of payment, and confirm the CMS cost report¹.

FAQs for the $50 billion general distribution can be accessed here: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/20200425-general-distribution-portal-faqs.pdf

HHS will also release $10 billion to rural clinics and hospitals struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will be proportionally allocated by operating expenses to each facility and clinic.

HHS will additionally allocate some of the remaining money to skilled nursing facilities and providers primarily relying on Medicaid.

Healthcare providers who have provided treatment to the uninsured COVID-19 patients on or after February, 4, 2020 can request claims reimbursement through the program. The portal for uninsured COVID-19 claims reimbursement can be found at coviduninsuredclaim.hrsa.gov. Healthcare providers should be aware that they are obligated to abstain from “balance billing” any patient for COVID-19 treatment as a condition of this program.

Note that there has also been an additional $75 billion allocated for providers under the Healthcare Enhancement Act that was signed into law on April 24. We will provide more details on these funds when they become available.

¹ https://www.hhs.gov/provider-relief/index.html

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