WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin accepting applications on Monday for a Phase III distribution of the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). The new round of coronavirus pandemic relief totals $20 billion, and assisted living is included in the list of eligible providers.
HHS is providing the opportunity for providers that have already received funding to apply for additional funding based on financial losses and changes in operating expenses as a result of COVID-19. Also, providers that were previously ineligible, such as those that opened in 2020, are now able to apply.
The application deadline is Friday, Nov. 6, at hhs.gov/providerrelief.
“As HHS noted in its announcement, the fight against this pandemic cannot be won without those providing the care and services needed to abate it,” says James Balda, president and CEO of seniors housing industry association Argentum. “We know assisted living communities in particular continue to face mounting expenses related to COVID-19, and this additional funding will offset some of those rising costs as well as financial losses resulting from necessary operational changes.
“While this added funding won’t make these communities ‘whole,’ it will offer essential relief the industry needs to continue prioritizing the health and safety of residents and staff.”
For eligible providers, the new Phase III distribution is designed to balance an equitable payment of 2 percent of annual revenue from patient care for all applicants, plus an add-on payment to account for revenue losses and expenses attributable to COVID-19.
“HHS has worked to ensure that all American healthcare providers receive support from the Provider Relief Fund in a fast and fair way, and this new round helps ensure that we are reaching America’s essential behavioral health providers and takes into account losses and expenses relating to coronavirus,” says Alex Azar, HHS secretary. “We’ve worked with all of the resources we have across HHS to ensure that America’s heroic healthcare providers know they can apply for support.”