CARES Act Funding Now Available for Medicaid and CHIP Providers

Approximately $15 billion of targeted Medicaid funding is now available via the CARES Act for eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This round of Provider Relief Fund is separate from the $260 million appropriated by the Commonwealth of PA expected to be distributed on June 24. The payment to each provider will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care; the final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients that providers serve.

Application information is available on the HHS website here:
Provider Relief | HRSA

Scroll down to the Medicaid/CHIP Provider Relief Fund Payment Forms and Guidance section on the link above. We encourage you to review the instructions on the Medicaid Provider Distribution first, then the application. Then you can apply directly through the online portal.

Answers to some frequently asked questions are addressed below:

1. Participation in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) does not disqualify providers from applying to the Provider Relief Fund.

2. The application requests total gross revenue to provide services; this includes all funds used to provide care from the most recent financial reporting or tax return.

3. No calculations need to be made regarding a federal match or other adjustments.

4. Medicaid provider status is used to qualify organizations, but Medicaid rules are not utilized in the award or distribution of funds.

5. Approved distributions are not Medicaid payments; they are emergency federal relief.

6. Funds will be distributed directly from the Federal Government, not through the Commonwealth.

HHS has also signaled that there will be a "Phase 3" of distribution of CARES Act funds to help continue to distribute relief funds, and to pick up "Medicaid dependent" providers that were not eligible to participate in the current portal opportunity because of having previously qualified for, but not having been cued to attest to, nominal amounts of Medicare relief.

Update: 7/31/20 - HHS will be extending the application deadline for federal Provider Relief Fund payments to Medicaid providers to August 28th. Also note following updates regarding questions around reporting:

1. HHS will be releasing detailed reporting instructions by August 17, 2020.
2. The reporting system will become available to recipients for reporting on October 2, 2020.
3. Recipients who have expended funds in full prior to December 31, 2020 may submit a single final report at any time during the window that begins October 1, 2020, but no later than February 15, 2021.
4. Recipients with funds unexpended after December 31, 2020, must submit a second and final report no later than July 31, 2021.
5. Detailed PRF reporting instructions and a data collection template with the necessary data elements will be available through the HRSA website by August 17, 2020.

Additional information regarding reporting is available online.

If you have any questions regarding applying for these funds, please contact a member of your audit team.