Update: Shortly after opening up the reporting portal, HHS edited their timeline. According to the HHS Provider Relief Website, the portal is now only open for registration at this time. Actual functionality to allow for providing documentation is “delayed past January 15th. In the near future, HRSA will announce the window for submitting the first report on a recipient’s use of funds.” APS will continue to monitor the portal development to keep you informed on when you can submit documentation of use of funds. Please contact your Practice Manager with any additional questions.
What are CARES Act Relief Funds?
Recently, APS published a white paper on the CARES Act Relief Funds being distributed as part of the COVID-19 relief stimulus package. These funds have been distributed in three phases over the course of 2020 and early 2021—the most recent distributions beginning in December of 2020. Through the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), the federal government has distributed $175 billion in payments to support health care providers, workers, and facilities. At this point, it is likely that most providers who were going to receive funds have already applied and accepted those funds. However, it is important that they also be aware of the reporting requirements and the upcoming deadlines to ensure compliance with the federal regulations regarding the use of these funds. The distributions will not need to be paid back, assuming providers meet the reporting requirements.
What needs to be reported and how?
Providers who receive PRF funds must accept or reject them within 90 days of them being allocated. This can be done through the PRF Application and Attestation Portal. For detailed information on the terms and conditions for attestation, please see earlier APS white papers on CARES Act funding and applying for PRF distributions.
Reporting
As far as reporting is concerned, all recipients of PRF funds will have terms and conditions they must comply with. However, providers who receive funds in excess of $10,000 will also need to submit reports outlining how they used the PRF distributions (specifically identifying general and administration expenses as well as health-care related expenses). As a general standard, PRF funds may be used to cover expenses or lost revenue affected by the coronavirus including (but not limited to):
• Supplies
• Equipment
• Workforce training
• Reporting COVID-19 test results to local, state, and federal governments
• Building temporary structures for COVID-19 patient care, or non-COVID-19 patients who are being treated in a separate area
• Additional resources (e.g., facilities, supplies, staffing, etc.) to expand or preserve care delivery
• Developing and staffing emergency operation centers
Importantly, providers who receive funds in excess of $500,000 will also need to submit a report, but with more extensive reporting requirements. Some of the additional reporting items are as follows:
• Mortgage/rent
• Personnel
• Utilities
• Supplies
• Equipment
• Other high-level expenses
In addition to expenses attributable to the coronavirus (listed above), providers who receive more than $500,000 will also need to report:
• Basic organization information (Tax identification number, fiscal year end date, federal tax classification)
• Lost revenues
• Other assistance received in 2020 (PPP loans, local/state/tribal government assistance, business insurance, etc.)
• Non-financial information (employees, patients, facility)
For more information on reporting requirements, please visit the PRF website.
Key Dates
January 15th, 2021 – The reporting portal opens for providers.
February 15th, 2021 – All recipients of PRF funds in excess of $10,000 have 45 days after the end of the calendar year 2020 to report their expenditures through the period ending Dec. 31st, 2020.
July 31st, 2021 – If a provider has unexpended funds on Dec. 31st, 2020, they have until July 31st, 2021 to provide a second and final report on the use of those funds.
APS encourages you to familiarize yourself with the reporting requirements based on your specific circumstances, and we are happy to assist you any way we can to ensure you comply with the federal requirements for accepting and reporting your PRF distributions.