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The beginning of the new year also brought the opening of the Provider Relief Fund reporting portal for the second period, giving assisted living and Medicaid home- and community-based service providers their first shot at reporting how they used COVID-19 relief funding.
The Health Resources and Services Administration on Jan. 1 opened the Provider Relief Fund reporting portal for providers to begin entering data to submit their second-period reports. Providers who received more than $10,000 in payments are required to report how those funds were used.
This second-period report covers payments received July 1 to Dec. 31, 2020, which includes Phase 2 and 3 general distributions, as well as nursing home infection control distributions and incentive payments. The deadline to submit the second-period report is March 31.
This will be the first time reporting for assisted living, Medicaid HCBS providers and private-pay nursing homes who did not receive their first payments until Phase 2 or 3.
The Provider Relief Fund was created in March 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help operators with pandemic-related expenses and losses. Private-pay assisted living first was recognized during Phase 2 PRF distributions, with Phase 3 distributions covering pandemic expenses from the first half of 2020. Assisted living operators serving Medicaid beneficiaries already had been eligible to apply for the funds in Phase 1.
In September, the federal government announced the release of $25.5 billion in new Phase 4 PRF funding and American Rescue Plan Rural payments for healthcare providers. Phase 4 payments began being distributed in December.
Providers can use the funds for salaries, recruitment or retention; personal protective equipment; ventilators or improved filtration systems; capital investments; information technology; and other expenses related to preventing, preparing for or responding to COVID-19.
HRSA will host a free technical assistance webinar on Jan. 12 for providers new to the reporting process. A Jan. 13 webinar is slated for operators who have prior experience reporting. Registration is required to attend.
Updated reporting resources and information can be found on the HRSA website, including frequently asked questions and what’s new for the second reporting period.
