HHS Provider Relief Funds – Automatic Payments & New Application Portal
Medical practices that serve Medicare patients can participate in the Provider Relief Funds under the CARES Act.  HHS provider relief funds were released in two automatic disbursals released on or around Friday April 16^th and again on April 24^th as automatic payments.
In addition to the Provider Relief Funds medical practices can also apply to either the General or Targeted Funds for additional support.
 
Automated Payments:
The CARES ACT provides for $100 billion in relief funds for hospitals and healthcare providers.  $50 billion of that has been allocated as a General Fund.  The first two distributions were made based on CMS cost report data already on file.  Providers without adequate cost report data on file will need to submit their revenue information to a portal opening this week at https://www.hhs.gov/providerrelief for additional general distribution funds.
 
Additional Support:
If a business feels they have been further impacted and would like to submit a request for lost revenues for additional funding funds can be applied for at https://covid19.linkhealth.com/docusign/#/step/1
A few highlights from the FAQ attached for this application process:
 
Who is eligible to receive additional payments by submitting an Application to the Provider Relief Fund Application Portal? Any provider who has already received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund as of 5:00 pm EST Friday, April 24 can and should apply for additional funding via the Provider Relief Fund Application Portal. 
 
What information do I need to have before I start the application process?
Eligibility – To enter the Provider Relief Fund Application Portal you must meet 2 criteria:

1. You must have already received a Provider Relief Fund Payment by 5:00 pm EST, Friday April 24th
2. You must attest to having received the payment via the Provider Attestation Portal, and you must agree to the Terms and Conditions on the attestation portal.

Data – Before you initiate your application via the Provider Relief Fund Application Portal, please collect the following data

1. The Taxpayer Identification Number for the organization applying for relief funds. (“Application TIN”)
2. The Taxpayer Identification Number(s) of any subsidiary organizations if and only if those organizations do not file separate tax returns, but rather consolidate into the returns of the “Application TIN”. If your organization has subsidiaries that file separate tax returns, a separate application must be made for each subsidiary that files a separate return.
3. An estimate the organization’s lost revenue for March 2020 and April 2020. Lost revenue can be estimated by comparing year-over-year revenue, or by comparing budgeted revenue to actual revenue. For April 2020, an estimate of the total monthly loss based on data from the first few weeks in April or by extrapolation from March data is acceptable.
4. A copy of the most recent tax form filed by the organization associated with the Application TIN.

 
Will I be penalized if I take several days to collect the necessary information? No. We will be processing applications in batches every Wednesday at 12:00 noon EST.   Funds will NOT be disbursed on a first-come-first-served basis, which is to say, an applicant will be given equal consideration regardless of when they apply.
 
What documents do I need in order to begin this process?

1. TIN that has received prior Provider Relief Fund payments
2. TINS of subsidiary organizations that have received prior Provider Relief Funds but do not file separate tax forms (i.e., subsidiary organizations that are accounted for in the parent organization’s tax filing)
3. Amount of payments received
4. Relief Fund payment transaction numbers / check numbers
5. A copy of your most recently filed tax forms

 
Additional Resource:

• HHS Provider Relief Fund Website https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/index.html
• CMS Portal to Request Additional funds https://covid19.linkhealth.com/docusign/#/step/1
• CMS Portal Users Guide: https://chameleoncloud.io/review/2977-5ea0af98f0fd0/prod
• HHS General Distribution Portal FAQs: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/20200425-general-distribution-portal-faqs.pdf

 
Please keep in mind, any providers who receive funds will be required to sign the attestation confirming receipt of funds and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions.   https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1