This Monday Minute reviews the content of the HHS announcement regarding the, now available, $25.5 billion in additional provider relief funds.
Hello everyone, and welcome to our Monday Minute. Today our topic of conversation is provider relief funds. Health and Human Services released an announcement on Friday that there is an additional $25.5 billion available in provider relief funds, 8 billion of this money is to be given to small providers primarily in rural areas and bonuses will be given to providers that serve primarily Medicaid, CHIP and/or Medicare patients. The remaining 17.5 billion will be dispersed to other providers based on the qualifications and application process. In addition to that, in this announcement, I have also given a PDF file link to the calculation methodology that was used to disburse funds in provider relief funds Phase 3. If you feel like that prior to now, you have not received the amount of provider relief funds that you should have received, they are going to allow you to file for reconsideration. So, you will need to go through the step-by-step calculation process that they have used to calculate provider relief funds to this point through Phase 3. If you disagree with the amounts that you have been paid so far, you will be able to file for reconsideration. The link that we will provide to you with this minute includes the instructions to follow through with Phase 3 calculations, as well as, to apply for Phase 4 payments, if you feel like you qualify. In addition to that, due to the current surge of the Delta variant, the recent hurricanes, wildfires, etc. They have decided to extend a 60-day grace period to the deadline for reporting on the provider relief funds, that you have received already. They are not changing the deadline of September 30th, but they are giving a 30-day grace period from September 30th, before they start looking into providers that have not filed or reported against the provider really funds to this point. So, you’re going to want to make sure that if you do not meet the deadline for reporting for provider relief funds you have received to this point, but you do so as quickly as possible after September 30th.
I want to thank you all for participating today. And hopefully some of this information has given you additional information that you need to deal with the provider relief funds that are in place as we continue to maneuver through this pandemic and the surges that have recently taking place. I always am prayerful, honestly, that providers are protected. I’m so very thankful that you all continue to take care of patients during this time. Please look to your state and local associations and the National Association for additional information that you might need regarding vaccinations, and of course the provider relief funds that we have discussed today. Thank you all and hope to see you again soon.