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This week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) unveiled a now simpler application and process for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness, especially for loans that were less than $50,000. This new streamlined process makes it easier for both the business that received the loan, as well as the lender that issued it. The SBA and the U.S. Treasury Department continue to look at ways to make this process easier but still prevent fraud and/or misuse...

Providers who applied for and received advanced payments from CMS will now have 1 year to pay back those loans, instead of the 3 months they initially were given to do so. In late March of this year, and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revised their already existing Accelerated and Advance Payment Program (AAP). This was one of many programs designed to minimize the financial burden that healthcare providers are currently faced with in the...

As we announced last week, HHS has opened up the portal for providers to apply for Phase 3 of the HHS Provider Relief Fund (PRF). Since that initial announcement, HHS has released a few additional details, but there are still some questions that remain unanswered. HHS is hosting a webinar on October 15th  at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. If you register for the webinar, there is a place where you can enter any question(s) that you would like to have answered during the webinar. We encourage you...

On Friday, October 2, 2020,  Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services, renewed the Public Health Emergency (PHE) that went into effect on January 27, 2020 nationwide. This extension will be effective October 23, 2020. Click here to see the official renewal.

What does this mean for you?

On April 29, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its guidance regarding several emergency waivers related to Medicare and Medicaid policy and...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced an additional $20 billion in funding that is being made available to providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. This 3rd Phase of the General Distribution is available to healthcare providers, even if they have already received Provider Relief Fund payments through Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the HHS Provider Relief Fund’s General Distribution. Providers can begin applying for funds on October 5, and will have...

Part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included reimbursement rate changes for certain zip codes and HCPCS codes.

Let’s start with the rural and contiguous areas where the 50/50 blended rate that was initially set to expire December 31, 2020 and is now being extended beyond 2020 and for the duration of the public health emergency (PHE). This applies to beneficiaries that have a rural zip code according to Medicare FFS and the HCPCS code is part of...

REMINDER: The deadline to apply for the HHS Provider Relief Fund for Medicaid/CHIP providers who did not receive any relief payments during the Medicare-based General Distribution is Monday, July 20th. Providers who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, meet all of the other eligibility requirements, and can agree to the Terms and Conditions associated with the program are encouraged to apply for this relief fund.

HHS created this $15B relief program from the Provider Relief Fund,...

The deadline for small businesses to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan has been extended through August 8th. The program has already provided small businesses around the country with over $500B in forgivable loans. The original deadline to apply for a loan was June 30, but as of that date, there were still over $130B left over in available funding for the popular program. On Saturday, July 4th, President Trump signed a bill that would extend the application deadline to August 8th. Any...

On Monday, June 29, HHS Spokesperson Michael Caputo tweeted “…@HHSGov expects to renew the Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19 before it expires. We have already renewed this PHE once…” The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) was initially declared on January 31, 2020 (with acknowledgement that it has existed since January 27th). Any PHE declaration can only last for 90 days at a time, but can be extended or renewed. The COVID-19 was already renewed once in...

HHS has announced an additional $15B in relief fund distributions from the Provider Relief Fund, which will be made available to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. Providers who have previously received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation will not be eligible for this next round of funding. To be eligible for this funding, health care providers...