Targeted Payments to Medicaid and CHIP Providers
HHS announced this week plans to distribute $15 billion from the Provider Relief Fund targeted to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not yet received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Distribution. This funding will supply relief to Medicaid and CHIP clinicians experiencing lost revenues or increased expenses due to COVID-19. Additional payments will also be made to safety-net hospitals.
To be eligible for this funding, health care clinicians must not have received payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution and either have directly billed their state Medicaid/CHIP programs or Medicaid managed-care plans for health-care-related services between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2020.
The Provider Relief General Distribution directed $50 billion to Medicare facilities and providers affected by COVID-19, based on eligible providers’ 2018 net patient revenue, in April and May. This distribution reached approximately 62% of all providers participating in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. For this reason, many family physicians may not be eligible for the Medicaid targeted payments. This new Medicaid and CHIP Targeted Distribution will make monies from the Provider Relief Fund available to the remaining 38% of providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not yet received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation.
Action Required to Receive Payments
HHS launched the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal(cares.linkhealth.com) on June 10. To receive a payment, clinicians who participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and/or Medicaid and CHIP managed care organizations, and who have not yet received General Distribution funding, should report their annual patient revenue through this portal. The distribution will be equal to at least 2% of reported gross revenues from patient care. The final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data are submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients served. The deadline to submit an application for the Medicaid Targeted Distribution is July 20, 2020.
Instructions(www.hhs.gov) and the application form(www.hhs.gov) are provided to assist applicants in applying for funds. Once a payment is received, providers must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds and agree to the Terms and Conditions(www.hhs.gov) within 90 days.