April 16 UPDATE: The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

Published in Member Communities on April 16, 2020

As most DMEPOS suppliers are likely aware, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its distribution of $30 billion in funds from the $100 billion Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

Commencing April 10, all health facilities that billed Medicare in 2019 will receive a grant from the Fund. Each TIN will receive approximately 6.2% of its 2019 Medicare fee-for-service payments (not including Medicare Advantage). For example, a provider or supplier that received $1 million in Medicare payments in 2019 will receive a relief payment of approximately $62,000. Many have received their payments, for those who have questions about their payments, please call 877-842-3210 and choose option 7. You will be asked to provide your Tax ID number, and a United Healthcare representative will be able to check on the status of your payment.

This payment will not need to be repaid. Payments will be made automatically, without the need to file an application. Many provider/suppliers accounts have been paid. The exception: Those without Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposit capabilities. These entities will receive paper checks by mail in the next few weeks.

HHS partnered with UnitedHealth Group (UHG) to make payments via Automated Clearing House account information on file with UHG or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The automatic payments will come from Optum Bank with "HHSPAYMENT" as the payment description.

Within 30 days of receipt, a provider must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds and agreeing to specific terms and conditions. A portal for signing is now active. Please read – in its entirety – this page https://www.hhs.gov/provider-relief/index.html, which offers important information and directs users to the actual portal URL https://covid19.linkhealth.com/#/step/1.

Providers do not need to sign the agreement before payments are made.

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