Important: Updated HHS Provider Relief Fund Application Process

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant update to the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) designed to provide much-needed funding to Netsmart clients and other providers as they strive to meet the significant demand for services in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stated goal by HHS is to assure that all eligible providers receive funding of up to 2% of their annual patient revenues to help offset revenue loss and increased costs due to the pandemic.

New Deadline: HHS has extended the deadline to Sunday, September 13, 2020 for all eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers to submit an application to a single Phase 2 General Distribution Provider Relief Fund portal if they have not yet received a payment that is approximately 2% of annual revenue from patient care.

Per HHS, eligible providers for Phase 2 General Distribution funding include:

• Providers who were ineligible for the Phase 1 General Distribution because they underwent a change in ownership in calendar year 2019 or 2020 under Medicare Part A and did not have Medicare Fee-For-Service revenue in 2019
• Providers who received a payment under Phase 1 General Distribution but missed the June 3 deadline to submit revenue information – including many Medicaid, CHIP, and dental providers with low Medicare revenues that assumed they were ineligible for additional distribution targeted at Medicare providers, or had planned to apply for a Medicaid and CHIP specific distribution, or did not receive Phase 1 General Distribution payments totaling approximately 2 percent of their annual patient revenue.
• Providers who previously received Phase 1 General Distribution payment(s) but rejected and returned the funds and are now interested in reapplying.

Netsmart clients eligible to apply if they meet the criteria include community mental health, residential substance use treatment, I/DD, home health, hospice, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation.

Key Takeaway: All eligible providers, including Medicaid or Medicaid Managed Care or CHIP or Medicare billing providers may now make an application to the Phase 2 General Distribution portal. Application deadline is now Sunday, September 13.

HHS Provider Relief Fund Resources
HHS Provider Relief Fund Information web page
Detailed HHS Provider Relief Fund FAQs