Provider Relief Fund Applications Open

This information is provided by national senior living association partner, Argentum.

Summary:

• The application for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund and rural relief is now open. Apply here.
• HRSA released information on the reconsideration process for Phase 3 payments, with requests for reconsideration due November 12. Details here.

The application opens for the recently released $25.5 billion in provider relief: $17 billion for Phase 4 from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and $8.5 billion in relief allocated to providers serving rural patients. The application will close on October 26, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and HRSA will determine the exact methodology for payments after application data has been analyzed by the agency. The release of Phase 4 funds is currently expected in mid-December.

Argentum has led advocacy efforts for months to release this latest round of relief and to ensure eligibility for senior living providers, including our successful effort to protect the PRF from being repurposed for infrastructure. Our advocacy efforts were supported by Congressional sign-on letters, including the latest letter led by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that garnered the support of half the chamber, in addition to the earlier Senate sign-on letter led by Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Collins, and the House letter led by Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH). We also held numerous meetings with HRSA officials and staff, hundreds of meetings with Congressional offices that resulted in lawmakers relaying our message to the Biden administration—including posing questions directly to officials during hearings or in questions for the record—along with dozens of letters sent from Argentum to key decision makers on the need for relief.

We are continuing to urge the administration to use the flexibility afforded to them to target relief for senior living providers, taking into consideration the critical role in providing 24/7 direct care to the most vulnerable seniors, compared to the extensive list of other eligible providers that don’t care for vulnerable seniors. We recently met with the White House and senior HRSA and HHS staff to underscore the need to specifically target funds and will continue to press the administration in the coming weeks as a methodology is determined. We encourage providers to include an addendum to their application emphasizing the care provided and unique impact of COVID-19 on assisted living (more on this below).

Applying for Relief

The application for relief is available on the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal. Please note that providers who have previously created an account in the portal and have not logged in for more than 90 days will need to first reset their password before starting a new application. There is a single streamlined application to apply for both Phase 4 relief and the rural relief.

HRSA has provided resources for completing your application, including Application Instructions (line by line details and tips), a Sample Application Form, “How to Apply” Flow Chart, Annual Revenues from Patient Care Worksheet, and Annual Revenues Adjustment Worksheet. For technical assistance with applying, you may call the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

We encourage all senior living providers to submit an addendum to their application to underscore the critical needs compared to other providers, for HRSA’s consideration of targeting funds to those most in need of relief. We recommend a simple statement such as:

[Provider/Community Name] has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing 24/7 direct care to [##] vulnerable seniors who require assistance with daily activities such as eating, bathing, toileting, and medication management. As referenced in our application, this came at an extraordinary cost of [$$] and we are in critical need of relief to continue meeting the daily care needs of our residents. Thank you for your attention to the unique needs of our facility, residents, and caregivers as you determine a methodology in the forthcoming relief that fully reflects the impact of COVID-19 on frontline providers.

Additional Resources

HRSA updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) today to address both Phase 4 and rural relief. We will provide an analysis of the latest FAQs on today’s member webinar.

Argentum will be releasing additional resources for senior living providers applying for relief in the coming days. Please let us know if there are any specific resources that would be helpful in completing the application process.

Phase 3 Reconsideration

Providers who believe their Phase 3 determination was not calculated correctly may complete a PRF reconsideration request using this form and submitting it by 11:59:59 pm EST on November 12, 2021. Providers are encouraged to first review the detailed information regarding methodology for calculating Phase 3 payments to determine if their calculations were incorrect, and the detailed FAQs on the reconsideration process. Please note that HRSA will only consider reconsideration requests from providers who believe their Phase 3 payment calculation was incorrect, and HRSA will not consider reconsideration requests that would require a change to payment methodology or policy. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to facilitate review and expedite any revised payments made as a result of the reconsiderations process. If you have any technical questions, please call the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522.