HHS gives providers flexibility on spending COVID-19 relief funds, updates reporting requirements
by Robert King | Jun 11, 2021
The Department of Health and Human Services left intact a June 30 deadline for providers to use COVID-19 relief funds they accrued from April 10 through June 30 of 2020 after a major push from hospital groups asking for more time.
But the agency did give more flexibility for providers to spend funding if they got it after June 30, 2020.
The Health Resources and Services Administration released revised reporting requirements on Friday for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF), which helped providers offset major revenue shortfalls that emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These updated requirements reflect our focus on giving providers equitable amounts of time for use of these funds, maintaining effective safeguards for taxpayer dollars, and incorporating feedback from providers requesting more flexibility and clarity about PRF reporting,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa in a statement.
The agency set up new deadlines for when providers must use funding based on when they got it, rather than the June 30 deadline for all payments to be expended.
