Provider Relief Fund Update

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended the deadline for eligible Medicaid and CHIP physicians and organizations to submit information and apply for funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund from July 20 until August 3, 2020. HHS is distributing approximately $15 billion to eligible physicians who have not previously received a payment from the fund. The payment amount will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care, and the final amount will be determined based on submitted data, including the number of Medicaid patients served. HHS has created a fact sheet explaining the application process and answering frequently asked questions.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has made HHS aware of an issue where physicians who primarily care for patients with Medicaid and CHIP coverage received a small amount of money from the automatic Medicare allotment in April because they treated one or two patients with ESRD. They are ineligible to apply for this round of funding even if they rejected and returned the money. HHS has indicated they are working on a policy to address this issue.