Home Health & Hospice Week

Debt ceiling agreement abruptly ends COVID relief program.

If you haven’t received Provider Relief Fund payments yet, they aren’t coming.

“With the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and related rescission of program funds, no further payments will be made to providers under the Provider Relief Fund or the American Rescue Plan Rural Distribution, including no reconsideration payments,” the Health Resources & Services Administration says in a new post to its Provider Relief webpage.

That dashes providers’ hopes raised when HRSA recently announced two new PRF reporting periods. RP 8 covered payments received from July 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023 and RP 9 covered payments received from Jan. 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 (see HHHW by AAPC, Vol. XXXII, No. 17).

“As quickly as they began, PRF payments now end, as a result of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (a.k.a. the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement),” LeadingAge notes on its website. “Some providers have waited for years for decisions on their reconsideration requests where they were erroneously denied funds in Phases 3 and/or 4. Sadly, the lifeline for these providers won’t be coming,” the trade group laments.

Watch out: “Per the Terms and Conditions of each Program, all reporting and auditing requirements will continue without disruption,” HRSA emphasizes in its announcement.

“Providers can still use PRF for expenses incurred to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19 beyond the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) (May 11,2023),” LeadingAge advises.

“We anticipate, however, that even COVID-related expenses incurred post-PHE may be more highly scrutinized than those incurred during the heart of the pandemic,” LeadingAge warns. “COVID-19 tests and supplies, PPE, etc. should continue to be clearly covered but it is not clear how staff bonuses, or other incentives might be viewed now that the pandemic has ended and vaccines are available.”

Remember: “Both HRSA and the Office of the Inspector General are auditing providers’ PRF payments to make sure they were used appropriately,” LeadingAge cautions. “These audits will go more smoothly if providers can explain how their organization used these funds and how the expense relates to COVID-19. For this reason, members are encouraged to thoroughly document their rationale for the expenditures — how they related to preparing for, preventing and respond to COVID 19.”