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HHS Provider Relief Fund Online Reporting Portal Now Open

History, Compliance and Reporting Guidelines

History of HHS Provider Relief Fund

As part of the CARES Act, the federal government allocated $175 billion in payments to be distributed, through the Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”), to hospitals and healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response.  Qualified providers of healthcare, services, and support were eligible to receive PRF payments for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue due to COVID-19.  If providers comply with the terms and conditions of PRF pursuant to “post-payment reporting requirements”, then PRF payments do not need to be repaid to the federal government. With respect to post-payment reporting, the PRF online reporting portal is now open for providers to submit their required information.

General Eligibility and Requirements

• Provider must have provided diagnosis, testing, or care for actual or possible COVID-19 patients on or after Jan.31, 2020 (Note: HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19 for purposes of eligibility)
• Payment will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, and reimburse healthcare-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus
• Payment will not be used for expenses or losses that have been or will be reimbursed from other sources
• Recipient consents to public disclosure of payment

General Reporting Guidelines

• Pursuant to PRF’s terms and conditions, PRF recipients must only use payments for eligible expenses, including services rendered, and lost revenues during the period of availability, which is based on the date the payment is received.
• PRF recipients that received one or more payments during a payment received period are required to report in the reporting time period associated with the date in which they received payments.
• PRF reporting requirements are summarized in the following table:

• Recipients need to report their use of PRF payments by providing their eligible expenses attributable to coronavirus that another source has not reimbursed.
• Eligible expenses are reported by two broad categories: General & Administrative Expenses and Healthcare Expenses, with the specific level of reporting depending on the aggregate PRF payments received.
• Requirement for Single Audit: Recipients that expend a total of $750,000 or more in federal funds (including PRF payments and other federal financial assistance) during their fiscal year are subject to Single Audit requirements

For additional assistance, please contact Lee Ferber, CPA (lferber@gettrymarcus.com) who will be able to provide additional assistance regarding the Provider Relief Fund program.