Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced additional distributions from the Provider Relief Fund to eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers who participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. HHS expects to distribute approximately $15 billion to these eligible clinicians who have not already received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 10, HHS is launching an enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal that will allow eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers to report their annual patient revenue, which will be used as a factor in determining their Provider Relief Fund payment. The payment to each provider will be at least 2 percent of reported gross revenue from patient care; the final amount will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients served.
The initial General Distribution provided payments to approximately 62 percent of all those participating in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. This Medicaid and CHIP Targeted distribution will make the Provider Relief Fund available to the remaining 38 percent. HHS has already provided relief funding to over one million providers, and today’s announcement is expected to reach several hundred thousand more, many of whom are safety net providers operating on thin margins.
This funding offers relief to those experiencing lost revenues or increased expenses due to COVID-19. Examples of providers, serving Medicaid/CHIP beneficiaries, possibly eligible for this funding include pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists, dentists, opioid treatment and behavioral health providers, assisted living facilities and other home and community-based services providers.
To be eligible for this funding, health care providers must not have received payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution and either have directly billed their state Medicaid/CHIP programs for health care-related services between January 1, 2018, to May 31, 2020. Close to one million health care providers may be eligible for this funding.
Learn more about eligibility and the application process here.
HHS also announced the distribution of $10 billion in Provider Relief Funds to safety net hospitals. The safety net distribution will occur this week. For updated information and data on the Provider Relief Fund, visit hhs.gov/providerrelief