On Friday, April 10, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released the first round of the $100 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other health care providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. This funding will be used to support health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get testing and treatment for COVID-19. Learn more on the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund webpage and from AHCA’s summary on April 10.
For additional details, AHCA/NCAL has developed some FAQs specific to long term and post-acute care providers.
No-Interest COVID-19 Financial Support Available
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payment Program is a streamlined version of existing policy that allows Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to issue no-interest short term loan payments in certain circumstances, including national emergencies. AHCA members and Independent Operator Council co-chairs Sarah Schumann and Mark Traylor, who submitted requests for and quickly received the accelerated payments, have the following recommendations for their peers:
“We strongly recommend that SNF operators take full advantage of the CMS COVID-19 Accelerated Payment Program. It’s a simple 5-10-minute process to complete and submit the application for an interest-free loan to assure adequate cash-flow during these challenging times. Since it must be paid back later, we suggest setting this advance into a separate reserve account to use as an emergency fund.”
Providers can learn more the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program though AHCA’s FAQ document here.
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