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HHS announced earlier this week that it will distribute an additional $20 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to health care providers starting Friday, April 24. Providers who file cost report data with CMS will receive an automatic deposit; however, they will still have to submit revenue information to HHS for verification. Providers without adequate cost report data will need to submit revenue information directly to HHS in order to receive funds. Any provider receiving funds will need to sign an attestation confirming receipt of funds and agree to the terms and conditions of payment. Information regarding the additional funding, including the terms and conditions is available on the HHS website.

Additionally, HHS announced it would be disbursing additional funding in a more targeted fashion to providers harder hit by the pandemic, including hospitals in high impact areas, rural providers, and providers treating the uninsured.

• $10 billion is allocated to rural health clinics and hospitals with funding being disbursed as early as next week. According to HHS the methodology for distribution will be proportionate to each hospital and clinic. 
• $10 billion is allocated to hospitals in high impact areas but they must apply for this additional funding and include their total number of ICU beds as of April 10 and total number of positive COVID-19 admissions from January 1, 2020 to April 10, 2020. 
• Providers who provided treatment to uninsured COVID-19 patients on or after February 4 may seek reimbursement from Medicare for these services.

More information on the additional funding, including the targeted allocations, is available on the HHS website.

Healthcare providers with questions about the disbursements or the attestation requirements should contact their attorney.