PRB Provider Relief Fund General Information FAQ

Provider Relief Fund payments are being disbursed via both "General" and "Targeted" Distributions.

To be eligible for the General Distributions, a provider must have billed Medicare fee-for-service in 2019, be a known Medicaid and CHIP or dental provider and provide or provided after January 31, 2020 diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of  COVID-19.

A description of the eligibility for the announced Targeted Distributions can be found here. U.S. healthcare providers may be eligible for payments from future Targeted Distributions. Information on future distributions will be shared when publicly available.

All providers retaining funds must sign an attestation and accept the Terms and Conditions associated with payment. 

(Updated 12/4/2020)

Retention and use of these funds are subject to certain terms and conditions. If these terms and conditions are met, payments do not need to be repaid at a later date.

(Added 4/25/2020)

Yes. Provider Relief Fund recipients must immediately notify HRSA about their bankruptcy petition or involvement in a bankruptcy proceeding so that the Agency may take the appropriate steps. When notifying HRSA about a bankruptcy, please include the name that the bankruptcy is filed under, the docket number, and the district where the bankruptcy is filed. You must submit this information to PRFbankruptcy@hrsa.gov. If a Provider Relief Fund recipient has filed a bankruptcy petition or is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, federal financial obligations will be resolved in accordance with the applicable bankruptcy process, the Bankruptcy Code, and applicable non-bankruptcy federal law.

(Added 12/9/2021)

The AL number is 93.498.

(Added 9/29/2021)

In order to be eligible for a payment under the Provider Relief Fund, a provider must meet the eligibility criteria for the distribution and must be in compliance with the Terms and Conditions for any previously received Provider Relief Fund payments. Additionally, a provider must not be currently terminated from participation in Medicare or precluded from receiving payment through Medicare Advantage or Part D; must not be currently excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs; and must not currently have Medicare billing privileges revoked as determined by either the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or the HHS Office of Inspector General in order to be eligible to receive a payment under the Provider Relief Fund. 

(Updated 6/30/2022)

Yes. The Provider Relief Fund does not issue individual General and Targeted Distributions payments that are less than $100. 

(Added 12/11/2020)

Going forward, HHS will allow providers that submitted data as part of the COVID-19 High Impact Area Distribution and/or the Nursing Home Infection Control/Quality Incentive Payment Distribution, a limited opportunity to submit corrected data for up to 5 business days after the submission deadline. HHS will only accept corrections within the 5-day time period that are accompanied by a justification for why the provider erred in the initial data submission. HHS will review each request for correction on a case-by-case basis and may determine that a previous payment be amended to align with the updated data. Providers who submit updated data may have their payments delayed for up to 90 days from the date of submission pending review and adjudication. All HHS decisions are final and there is no appeals process. 

(Added 10/28/2020)

Please refer to CMS FAQs - PDF (PDF - 1 MB) on how Provider Relief Fund payments should be reported on cost reports. 

(Updated 9/3/2020)

Providers should contact the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711), if they have questions about the status of their payment or application. When calling, providers should have ready the last four digits of the recipient's or applicant's Tax Identification Number (TIN), the name of the recipient or applicant as it appears on the most recent tax filing, the mailing address for the recipient or applicant as it appears on the most recent tax filing, and the application number (begins with either "DS" or "CR") if they have submitted an application in the Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal. 

(Added 7/8/2020)

Yes. Hospitals and health systems in all states and territories eligible for Provider Relief Fund payments. 
(Updated 8/4/2020)

In order to ensure program integrity and transparency, HHS made Provider Relief Fund payments to health care providers based on the latest data available for a TIN.  As previous owners are not permitted to transfer funds to the new owner, they were instructed to return the funds to HHS.  At this time, HHS will not reissue returned payments to the new owners.  Providers that have not received payments under the Provider Relief Fund due to issues related to change of ownership will be eligible to apply for future allocations. Additional information will be posted as available on the Future Payments page.

(Added 7/8/2020)

Future General Distributions will take into account previous allocations, including General Distributions and Targeted Distributions. HHS may consider providers that have only received a Provider Relief Fund General Distribution for priority under future General Distributions.

(Added 8/7/2020)

There is no direct ban under the CARES Act on accepting a payment from the Provider Relief Fund and other sources, so long as the payment from the Provider Relief Fund is used only for permissible purposes and the recipient complies with the Terms and Conditions. By attesting to the Terms and Conditions, the recipient certifies that it will not use the payment to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.

(Added 5/29/2020)

Payments from the Provider Relief Fund shall not be subject to the claims of the provider's creditors and providers are limited in their ability to transfer Provider Relief Fund payments to their creditors.  A provider may utilize Provider Relief Fund payments to satisfy creditors' claims, but only to the extent that such claims constitute eligible health care related expenses and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus and are made to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, as set forth under the Terms and Conditions. 

(Added 6/8/2020)

No. A payment to a business, even if the business is a sole proprietorship, does not qualify as a qualified disaster relief payment under section 139. The payment from the Provider Relief Fund is includible in gross income under section 61 of the Code. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Services' website. 

(Added 7/10/2020)

Generally, no. A health care provider that is described in section 501(c) of the Code generally is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a). Nonetheless, a payment received by a tax-exempt health care provider from the Provider Relief Fund may be subject to tax under section 511 if the payment reimburses the provider for expenses or lost revenue attributable to an unrelated trade or business as defined in section 513. For more information, visit the Internal Revenue Services' website. 

(Added 7/10/2020)

Yes, you will receive a Form 1099 if you received and retained within the calendar year 2022 a total net payment from either or both of the Provider Relief Fund and/or COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured that is in excess of $600.

(Updated 1/30/2023)

Form 1099s will be mailed by January 31, 2023.  If you have previously established an account with UnitedHealth Group and elected to receive electronic copies of documents and notices, you will not receive a mailed copy. 

(Updated: 1/30/2023)

Please call the Provider Support Line 866-569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711) for any questions you may have regarding your Form 1099.

(Updated 1/30/2023)

HHS will allocate returned payments to future distributions of the Provider Relief Fund.

(Added 6/30/2020)

Recipients (both non-federal entities and commercial organizations) of the General and Targeted Distributions of the Provider Relief Fund are subject to 45 CFR 75 Subpart A (Acronyms and Definitions) and B (General Provisions), subsections §§75.303 (Internal Controls), and 75.351-.353 (Subrecipient Monitoring and Management), and Subpart F (Audit Requirements). In addition, the terms and conditions of the PRF payments incorporate by reference the obligation of recipients to comply with the requirements to maintain appropriate financial systems at 75.302 (Financial management and standards for financial management systems) and the requirements for record retention and access at 75.361 through 75.365 (Record Retention and Access).

(Added 12/28/2020)

Generally, if the applicable reporting period for the funds has not closed and the provider believes that they have returned an amount greater than what was owed, HRSA will refund the provider the erroneously returned amount.

(Updated 2/25/2022)

Providers that have Provider Relief Fund payments that they cannot expend on allowable expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus by the Period of Availability that corresponds to the Payment Received Period are required to return such funds to the federal government.

To return any unused funds, use the Return Unused PRF Funds Portal. Instructions for returning any unused funds.

The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions and applicable laws authorize HHS to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future to ensure that program requirements are/were met. HHS is authorized to recover any Provider Relief Fund payment amounts that were made in error, exceed lost revenue or expenses due to coronavirus, or do not otherwise meet applicable legal and program requirements.

(Modified 5/5/2023)

If you received a notice from the Provider Relief Fund that you had funds available, but did not take action within 90 days of the original payment issuance date, the payment is no longer available to you.  If it is past the 90-day period for a General Distribution payment, you may apply for a Phase 2 – General Distribution payment through the Provider Relief Attestation and Application Portal.  If it is within 90 days of the original payment issuance date, you must contact the Provider Support Line to reinitiate your ACH payment. In order to distribute the funds in a timely manner, it is important to maintain current ACH information. 

(Added 9/3/2020)

Yes, for Provider Relief Fund payments that were held in an interest-bearing account, the provider must return the accrued interest associated with the amount being returned to HHS.  However, if the funds were not held in an interest-bearing account, there is no obligation for the provider to return any additional amount other than the Provider Relief fund payment being returned to HHS.  HHS reserves the right to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients in the future to ensure that payments that were held in an interest-bearing account were subsequently returned with accrued interest.

To return accrued interest, visit pay.gov.  On the webpage, locate "Find an agency," and select "Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Support Center HQ."  Verify that the description is "PSC HQ Payment" and form number is "HHSHQ," then click continue.  You will then need to complete the following steps:
Step 1: Preview the form, then click "Continue."
Step 2: Indicate whether you are completing on behalf of an individual or business and enter the following information.
Business Name Field: Legal name of organization that received the payment
Invoice or Ticket Number Field: "HHS-COVID-Interest"
Contract/Agreement Number Field:  Tax Identification Number (TIN) of organization or provider that received the payment
Point of contact: Business contact information
Payment Amount: (The payment amount must match the interest earned on the payment received.)
Step 3: Verify the interest return payment amount and select to pay by ACH or debit/credit card, then select "Continue."
Step 4: Enter the required information to complete the payment, then select "Review and Submit."
Step 5: Ensure that all information is correct and select "Submit." 

(Updated 12/11/2020)

The Terms and Conditions for Phase 4 require that recipients that receive payments greater than $10,000 notify HHS during the applicable Reporting Time Period of any mergers with or acquisitions of any other health care provider that occurred within the relevant Payment Received Period. HRSA considers changes in ownership, mergers/acquisitions, and consolidations to be reportable events.

(Added 12/9/2021)

If a Reporting Entity that received a Phase 4 General Distribution payment undergoes a merger or acquisition during the Payment Received Period, as described in the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements (PDF - 232 KB), the Reporting Entity must report the merger or acquisition during the applicable Reporting Time Period.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

If a Reporting Entity that received a Phase 4 General payment indicates when they report on the use of funds that they have undergone a merger or acquisition during the applicable Payment Received Period, this information will be a component that is factored into whether an entity is audited.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions require that recipients be able to demonstrate that lost revenues or expenses attributable to coronavirus, excluding expenses and losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse, meet or exceed total payments from the Provider Relief Fund. Provider Relief Fund payment amounts that have not been fully expended on health care expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus by the deadline to use funds that corresponds to the Payment Received Period must be returned to HHS. The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions and applicable legal requirements authorize HHS to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future to ensure that program requirements are met. Provider Relief Fund payments that were made incorrectly, or exceed lost revenues or expenses due to coronavirus, or do not otherwise meet applicable legal and program requirements must be returned to HHS, and HHS is authorized to recover these funds.

(Updated 10/20/2021)

Providers that have Provider Relief Fund payments that they cannot expend on allowable expenses or lost revenues by the deadline to use funds that corresponds to the Payment Received Period, as outlined in the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements, will return this money to HHS. The Provider Relief Fund Terms and Conditions and legal requirements authorize HHS to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future to ensure that program requirements are met. HHS is authorized to recover any Provider Relief Fund amounts that were made incorrectly or exceed lost revenues or expenses due to coronavirus, or do not otherwise meet applicable legal and program requirements.

(Updated 10/20/2021)

Providers receiving payments from the Provider Relief Fund must comply with the Terms and Conditions and applicable legal and program requirements. Failure by a provider that received a payment to comply with any term or condition can result in action by HHS to recover some or all of the payment. Per the Terms and Conditions, all recipients will be required to submit documents to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, and that those expenses or lost revenues were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them. HHS monitors the funds distributed, and oversees payments to ensure that Federal dollars are used in accordance with applicable legal and program requirements. In addition, the HHS Office of the Inspector General fights fraud, waste and abuse in HHS programs, and may review these payments.

(Updated 10/20/2021)

If HHS identifies a payment made incorrectly, HHS will recover the amount paid incorrectly or overpaid. If a provider receives a payment that is greater than expected and believes the payment was made incorrectly, the provider should contact the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522 (for TYY, dial 711) and seek clarification.

(Updated 10/14/2021)

To streamline the process and minimize provider burden, this information will be collected in the Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal as part of the regular reporting process. Additional reporting information will be forthcoming for impacted providers.

(Added 9/29/2021)

The provider must return any unused funds to the government within 30 calendar days after the end of the applicable Reporting Time Period or any associated grace period.

(Updated 9/29/2021)

Yes. Providers have at least 12 months, and as much as 18 months, based on the payment received date, to control and use the payments for expenses and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus incurred during the Period of Availability.

The payment is considered received on the deposit date for automated clearing house (ACH) payments, or the check cashed date for all other payments.

Provider Relief Fund recipients must use payments only for eligible expenses, including services rendered and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, incurred by the end of the Period of Availability that corresponds to the Payment Received Period. Providers are required to maintain supporting documentation that demonstrates that costs were incurred during the Period of Availability, as required under the Terms and Conditions. However, providers are not required to submit that documentation when reporting. Providers must promptly submit copies of such supporting documentation upon the request of the Secretary of HHS. Examples of costs incurred for an entity using accrual accounting, during the Period of Availability include:

• Services that were received
• Renovation or construction that was completed
• Tangible property ordered, but need not have been delivered

For purchases of tangible items made using PRF payments, the purchase does not need to be in the provider’s possession (i.e., back ordered PPE, ambulance, etc.) to be considered an eligible expense but the costs must be incurred by the end of the Period of Availability. Providers must follow their basis of accounting (e.g., cash, accrual, or modified accrual) to determine expenses. For projects that are a bundle of services and purchases of tangible items that cannot be separated, such as capital projects, construction projects, or alteration and renovation projects, the project costs cannot be reimbursed using Provider Relief Fund payments unless the project was fully completed by the end of Period of Availability associated with the Payment Received Period. 

Recipients may use payments for eligible expenses or lost revenues incurred prior to receipt of those payments (i.e., pre-award costs) so long as they are to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.  However, HHS expects that it would be highly unusual for providers to have incurred eligible expenses or lost revenues prior to January 1, 2020. Additionally, the opportunity to apply Provider Relief Fund payments (excluding the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution) and ARP Rural payments for lost revenues will be available up to June 30, 2023, the end of the quarter in which the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends.

HHS reserves the right to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future, and may pursue collection activity to recover any Provider Relief Fund payment amounts that have not been supported by documentation or payments not used in a manner consistent with program requirements or applicable law. All payment recipients must attest to the Terms and Conditions, which require maintaining documentation to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus.

(Modified 5/5/2023)

No. Providers do not need to be able to prove that prior and/or future lost revenues and expenses attributable to COVID-19 (excluding those covered by other sources of reimbursement) meet or exceed their Provider Relief Fund payment at the time they accept such a payment. Providers must report on the use of Provider Relief Fund payments in accordance with legal and program requirements in the relevant Reporting Time Period. Recipients may use payments for eligible expenses incurred prior to receipt of those payments (i.e., pre-award costs) so long as they are to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Providers must follow their basis of accounting to determine expenses. Duplication of expenses and lost revenues is not permitted. All recipients are subject to audit.

(Updated 6/11/2021)

No, this is not a permissible use of Provider Relief Fund payments.

(Added 10/9/2020)

All recipients receiving payments under the Provider Relief Fund will be required to comply with the Terms and Conditions. Some Terms and Conditions relate to the provider's use of the funds, and thus they apply until the provider has exhausted these funds.  Other Terms and Conditions apply to a longer time period, for example, regarding maintaining all records pertaining to expenditures under the Provider Relief Fund payment for three years from the date of the final expenditure.

(Added 6/19/2020)

Unless the payment is associated with specific claims for reimbursement for COVID-19 testing or treatment provided on or after February 4, 2020 to uninsured patients, under the Terms and Conditions associated with payment, providers are eligible only if they provide or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19.

Not every possible case of COVID-19 is a presumptive case of COVID 19.

(Added 5/6/2020)

The Terms and Conditions state that none of the funds appropriated in this title shall be used to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other mechanism, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. The salary limitation is based upon the Executive Level II of the Federal Executive Pay Scale. Effective January 5, 2020, the Executive Level II salary is $197,300. For the purposes of the salary limitation, the direct salary is exclusive of fringe benefits and indirect costs. The limitation only applies to the rate of pay charged to Provider Relief Fund payments and other HHS awards. An organization receiving Provider Relief Funds may pay an individual's salary amount in excess of the salary cap with non-federal funds.

(Added 5/29/2020)

The "statutory provisions" listed in the Terms and Conditions apply to the Provider Relief Fund payment associated with those Terms and Conditions.  Those statutory provisions may also independently apply to other government funding that you receive.

(Added 6/8/2020)

The Terms and Conditions for ARP Rural payments require that recipients that receive payments greater than $10,000 notify HHS during the applicable Reporting Time Period of any mergers with or acquisitions of any other health care provider that occurred within the Payment Received Period. HRSA considers changes in ownership, mergers/acquisitions, and consolidations to be reportable events.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

If a Reporting Entity that received an ARP Rural payment undergoes a merger or acquisition during the Payment Received Period, the Reporting Entity must report the merger or acquisition during the applicable Reporting Time Period.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

If a Reporting Entity that received an ARP Rural payment indicates when they report on the use of funds that they have undergone a merger or acquisition during the applicable Payment Received Period, this information will be a component that is factored into whether an entity is audited.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

Providers that received funds in calendar year 2021 have through December 31, 2022 to incur eligible expenses and may apply the payment to lost revenues incurred since January 1, 2020. Providers may not use ARP Rural payments to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.

(Added 9/29/2021)

No. As required by the Terms and Conditions, control and use of the ARP Rural payment must be delegated to the provider associated with the billing TIN that was eligible for the ARP Rural payment. The provider cannot not transfer or allocate the ARP Rural payment to another entity not associated with the billing TIN.

(Added 9/29/2021)

Payment recipients must certify that the payment will only be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19, and that the payment shall reimburse the Recipient only for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus not reimbursed by other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.

Lost revenues attributable to the coronavirus may include other income not derived from delivery of health care services that has been customarily used to support the delivery of health care services by the recipient. Examples include, but are not limited to, decreases in tax revenue and non-federal, government grant funding. In accounting for such lost revenues, the recipient must document the historical sources and uses of these revenues. For more information about lost revenues, please review HRSA’s Lost Revenues Guide (PDF - 328 KB).

Additionally, expenditures to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus may include those incurred expenses necessary to maintain health care delivery capacity by the recipient or to increase health care delivery capacity in the future as informed by community health needs. This may include outreach and education about the vaccine for the provider’s staff, as well as the general public.

(Added 9/29/2021)

Yes. Providers have at least 12 months, and as much as 18 months, based on the payment received date, to control and use the payments for expenses and lost revenues attributable to coronavirus incurred during the Period of Availability. 

The payment is considered received on the deposit date for automated clearing house (ACH) payments, or the check cashed date for all other payments.

ARP Rural recipients must use payments only for eligible expenses, including services rendered and lost revenues attributable to COVID-19, incurred by the end of the Period of Availability that corresponds to the Payment Received Period.  HRSA began distributing ARP Rural payments on November 23, 2021. Providers are required to maintain supporting documentation that demonstrates that costs were incurred during the Period of Availability, as required under the Terms and Conditions.  However, providers are not required to submit that documentation when reporting. Providers must promptly submit copies of such supporting documentation upon the request of the Secretary of HHS. Examples of costs incurred for an entity using accrual accounting, during the Period of Availability include:

• Services that were received
• Renovation or construction that was completed
• Tangible property ordered, but need not have been delivered

For purchases of tangible items made using ARP Rural payments, the purchase does not need to be in the provider’s possession (i.e., back ordered PPE, ambulance, etc.) to be considered an eligible expense but the costs must be incurred by the end of the Period of Availability. Providers must follow their basis of accounting (e.g., cash, accrual, or modified accrual) to determine expenses. For projects that are a bundle of services and purchases of tangible items that cannot be separated, such as capital projects, construction projects, or alteration and renovation projects, the project costs cannot be reimbursed using Provider Relief Fund payments unless the project was fully completed by the end of Period of Availability associated with the Payment Received Period. 

Recipients may use payments for eligible expenses or lost revenues incurred prior to receipt of those payments (i.e., pre-award costs) so long as they are to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.  Additionally, the opportunity to apply Provider Relief Fund payments (excluding the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution) and ARP Rural payments for lost revenues will be available up to June 30, 2023, the end of the quarter in which the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends.

HHS reserves the right to audit Provider Relief Fund recipients now or in the future, and may pursue collection activity to recover any ARP Rural payment amounts that have not been supported by documentation or payments not used in a manner consistent with program requirements or applicable law. All payment recipients must attest to the Terms and Conditions, which require maintaining documentation to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19.

(Added 5/5/2023)
 

The CARES Act requires that providers meet certain terms and conditions if a provider retains a Provider Relief Fund payment. If a provider chooses to retain the funds, it must attest that it meet these terms and conditions of the payment. The CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal or the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal will guide you through the attestation process to accept or reject the funds. Not returning the payment within 90 days of receipt will be viewed as acceptance of the Terms and Conditions. A provider must attest for each of the Provider Relief Fund distributions received.

(Updated 10/28/2020)

Yes. The attestation portals require payment recipients to (1) confirm they received a payment and the specific payment amount that was received; and (2) agree to the Terms and Conditions of the payment.

(Updated 10/28/2020)

If you affirmatively attested to a Provider Relief Fund payment already received and later wish to reject those funds and retract your attestation, you may do so by calling the provider support line at (866) 569-3522; for TTY dial 711. Note, HHS is posting a public list of providers and their payments once they attest to receiving the payment and agree to the Terms and Conditions.

(Added 6/3/2020)

Providers who rejected one or more Provider Relief Fund and/or ARP Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in aggregate, and kept the funds are required to report on these funds during the applicable reporting period per the Terms and Conditions associated with the payment(s).  In order to be able to report on the use of funds, a provider must contact the Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711) to request a change to their attestation from “rejected” to “accepted.” Once the attestation status has been updated in the attestation portal, the Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal will subsequently be updated to accurately reflect the kept payment that the provider is required to report on during the applicable reporting period.

(Modified 10/27/2022)

The following instructions are to return the full payment amount:

If the provider received payment via electronic transfer, the provider needs to contact their financial institution and ask the institution to initiate a “R23 - Credit Entry Refused by Receiver" code on the original Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction.

If a provider was paid via paper check, the provider should destroy the check if it is not deposited, or mail a paper check to UnitedHealth Group with notification of their request to return the funds. Mail a refund check for the full amount payable to “UnitedHealth Group” to the address below.

UnitedHealth Group
Attention: Provider Relief Fund
PO Box 31376
Salt Lake City, UT 84131-0376

Returning the payment in full or not depositing the payment received by paper check within 90 days without taking further action in the attestation portal is considered a de facto rejection of the terms and conditions associated with the payment.

The following instructions are to return a partial payment amount:

Entities can return partial payments via Pay.gov. For more information on this process, please review the instructions.

(Updated 10/26/2021)

HHS will not issue a new payment to a provider that received and then subsequently submitted a full or partial return of a payment, using either the attestation portal or Pay.gov, if the rejected payment and potential new payment are within the same distribution. The provider may be considered for future distributions if it meets the eligibility criteria for that distribution.

(Added 10/26/2021)

Yes. If the provider does not return the payment within 15 calendar days of rejecting the payment in the attestation portal, the provider is considered to have accepted the payment and must abide by the Terms and Conditions associated with the distribution.  The government may pursue collection activity to collect the unreturned payment.

(Added 8/30/2021)

If the provider received a payment via check and has not yet deposited it, destroy, shred, or securely dispose of it. If the provider has already deposited the check, mail a refund check for the full amount, payable to "UnitedHealth Group" to the address below via United States Postal Service (USPS); mailing services such as FedEx and UPS cannot be used with this PO box. Please list the check number from the original Provider Relief Fund check in the memo.  Mail a refund check for the full amount payable to "UnitedHealth Group" to the address below.

UnitedHealth Group
Attention: Provider Relief Fund
PO Box 31376
Salt Lake City, UT 84131-0376

(Updated 10/28/2020)

Contact UnitedHealth Group's Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 (for TTY, dial 711).

(Added 5/12/2020)

No, HHS will not issue a new payment to a provider that received and then subsequently rejected and returned the original payment.  The provider may be considered for future distributions if it meets the eligibility criteria for that distribution.

(Updated 10/28/2020)

The answer depends on the status of the TIN that received the PRF payment. The purchaser/new owner cannot accept the payment directly from another entity nor attest to the Terms and Conditions on behalf of the seller/previous owner in order to retain the Provider Relief Fund payment, including payment under the Nursing Home Infection Control Quality Incentive Payment Program, unless the seller’s Medicare provider agreement and TIN was accepted by the purchaser in the transaction. However, the purchaser/new owner may apply for and/or receive future funds.

(Updated 12/9/2021)

If a provider has unused funds, it may return all or a portion of the funds when the first reporting period begins. If a provider that sold a practice that was included in its most recent tax return gross receipts or sales (or program services revenue) figure can attest to meeting the Terms and Conditions, it may accept the funds. The Terms and Conditions place restrictions on how the funds can be used. In particular, all recipients will be required to substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

(Updated 7/1/2021)

If an organization that sold, terminated, transferred, or otherwise disposed of a provider that was included in its most recent tax return gross receipts or sales (or program services revenue) figure can attest to meeting the Terms and Conditions, it may accept the funds. The Terms and Conditions place restrictions on how the funds can be used.

(Updated 7/1/2021)

Yes. If, as a result of the sale of a practice/hospital, the TIN that received a Provider Relief Fund payment did not provide diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020, the provider must reject the payment. The Provider Relief Fund Payment Attestation Portal guides providers through the attestation process to reject the attestation and return the payment to HRSA.

(Updated 7/1/2021)

Yes, a parent organization can accept and allocate General Distribution funds at its discretion to its subsidiaries, as long as the Terms and Conditions are met. Eligible health care entities, including those that are parent organizations must substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

(Updated 3/31/2021)

Yes, as long as the Terms and Conditions are met. The parent organization (an eligible health care entity) must substantiate that these funds were used for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19, and that those expenses or losses were not reimbursed from other sources and other sources were not obligated to reimburse them.

(Added 3/31/2020)

No.  The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution to any of its subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

(Updated 1/28/2021)

The parent entity must attest to the Terms and Conditions for the Targeted Distribution payment if it is the entity that received the payment. It may attest on behalf of any or all subsidiaries that qualified for a Targeted Distribution (i.e., Skilled Nursing Facility, Safety Net Hospital, Rural, Tribal, High Impact Area) payment.  The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution to any of its subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

(Updated 1/28/2021)

Yes, in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The parent organization may allocate the Targeted Distribution up to its pro rata ownership share of the subsidiary to any of its other subsidiaries that are eligible health care providers. To determine whether an entity is the parent organization, the entity must follow the methodology used to determine a subsidiary in their financial statements. If none, the entity with a majority ownership (greater than 50 percent) will be considered the parent organization.

(Updated 1/28/2021)

Yes, the parent organization with subsidiary billing TINs that received General Distribution payments may attest and keep the payments as long as providers associated with the parent organization were providing diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020 and can otherwise attest to the Terms and Conditions.  The parent organization can allocate funds at its discretion to its subsidiaries. 

(Updated 1/28/2021)

Until the purchase is complete, the organization should only report current gross receipts in its application and should exclude the practice it is intending to purchase. Any changes in ownership that have not occurred should not be included in your revenue submission. Submissions must be based on the organization that exists at the time of application, not a projection of expected lost revenue from the practice that is being acquired.

(Added 5/20/2020)

If the transaction is a purchase of the recipient entity (e.g., a purchase of its stock or membership interests), then the Provider Relief Fund recipient may continue to use the funds, regardless of its new owner. But if the transaction is an asset purchase (whether for some or all of the Provider Relief Fund recipient's assets), then the original recipient must use the funds for its eligible expenses and lost revenues and return any unused funds to HHS. In these circumstances, the Provider Relief Fund money does not transfer to the buyer, however, buyers in these circumstances will be eligible to apply for future Provider Relief Fund payments. If a bankrupt recipient is liquidated, it must similarly use the funds for its eligible expenses and lost revenues and return any unused funds to HHS.

(Updated 6/22/2020)

No. A provider that sold its only practice or facility must reject the Provider Relief Fund payment because it cannot attest that it was providing diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 on or after January 31, 2020, as required by the Terms and Conditions. Seller organizations should not transfer a payment received from HHS to another entity. If the current TIN owner has not yet received any payment from the Provider Relief Fund, it may still receive funds in other distributions.

(Updated 10/28/2020)

Yes.  The costs associated with administering a vaccine to a patient with Medicare Part A, but not Part B, coverage would be considered unreimbursed under the Provider Relief Fund, and payments could be used to cover incurred expenses.

(Added 1/28/2021)

Provider Relief Fund payments may be used to support expenses associated with distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine licensed or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that have not been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are not obligated to reimburse.  Funds may also be used ahead of an FDA-licensed or authorized vaccine becoming available.  This may include using funds to purchase additional refrigerators or freezers, personnel costs to provide vaccinations, and transportation costs not otherwise reimbursed.

(Updated 1/28/2021)

In line with the Terms and Conditions, funds may not be used to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are obligated to reimburse, which include, but is not limited to, Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. If reimbursement does not cover the full expense of administering vaccines, Provider Relief Funds may be used to cover the remaining associated costs.

(Updated 12/11/2020)

Providers accepting the Provider Relief Fund payment should submit a claim to the patient’s health insurer for their services. Most health insurers have publicly stated their commitment to reimbursing out-of-network providers that treat health plan members for COVID-19-related care at the insurer’s prevailing in-network rate. If the health insurer is not willing to do so, the out-of-network provider may seek to collect from the patient out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, copayments, or balance billing, in an amount that is no greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider. Generally, HRSA expects that it would be highly unusual for providers to collect from an out-of-network presumptive or actual COVID-19 patient an amount that exceeds the individual plan out-of-pocket maximum for the calendar year.

(Updated 4/6/2022)

No. As set forth in the Terms and Conditions, the prohibition on balance billing applies to "all care for a presumptive or actual case of COVID-19."

(Added 5/6/2020)

The Terms and Conditions do not impose any limitations on the ability of a provider to submit a claim for payment to the patient's insurance company. However, an out-of-network provider delivering COVID-19-related care to an insured patient may not seek to collect from the patient out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, copayments, or balance billing, in an amount greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider.

(Added 5/6/2020)

A presumptive case of COVID-19 is a case where a patient's medical record documentation supports a diagnosis of COVID-19, even if the patient does not have a positive in vitro diagnostic test result in his or her medical record.

(Updated 6/12/2020)

In the event that you would like to appeal or dispute a payment decision, first review the Phase 4 and/or ARP Rural payment methodology. If you believe your payment was calculated incorrectly, submit a completed PRF Reconsideration Request Form.

HRSA is only reconsidering Phase 4 General Distribution and ARP Rural applications and payments at this time. For more information, please review HRSA’s Phase 4 and ARP Rural Reconsiderations page. Any changes to payment determinations are subject to the availability of funds.

(Updated 6/30/2022)

HHS has posted a public list of providers and their payments once they attest to receiving the money and agree to the Terms and Conditions. All providers that received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund and retain that payment for at least 90 days without rejecting the funds are deemed to have accepted the Terms and Conditions. Providers that affirmatively attest through the Payment Attestation Portal or that retain the funds past 90 days, but do not attest, will be included in the public release of providers and payments. The list includes current total amounts attested to by providers from each of the Provider Relief Fund distributions, including the General Distribution and Targeted Distributions.

(Updated 6/12/2020)

The Provider Relief Fund data represent providers that received one or more payments from the Provider Relief Fund and that have attested to receiving at least one payment and agreed to the associated Terms and Conditions. If a provider has received more than one payment but has not accepted all of the payments (by attesting and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions), only the dollar amount associated with the accepted payment or payments will appear. These data displayed on the website will be updated biweekly.

(Updated 6/12/2020)

Provider Relief Fund payments are being made to providers or groups of providers that are organized within a Tax Identification Number (TIN). The information displayed is of providers by billing TIN that have received at least one payment, which they have attested to, and the address associated with that billing TIN. Providers will not be listed if they have not yet attested to the payment terms and conditions or if they are within a larger billing entity that received payment. In addition, the address listed for the billing TIN often corresponds with the billing location (based on CMS's Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)), and may not align with the physical location of a health care practice site. Updated data will be made available on the the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website.

(Added 5/12/2020)

HHS does not have plans to include additional data fields in the public list of providers and payments.

(Added 5/12/2020)

No. To ensure transparency, HHS will publish the names of payment recipients and the amounts accepted and attested to by the payment recipient.

(Added 5/20/2020)

Yes. Reporting Entities that previously reported will be able to choose a different methodology for calculating lost revenues during Reporting Period 2 and any subsequent reporting periods. However, if the Reporting Entity decides to use a different methodology, they must then use the new methodology to calculate lost revenues for the entire period of availability. The Reporting Entity will be required to submit a justification for the change. If a Reporting Entity chooses a different methodology, lost revenues by quarter will not pre-populate from the previous reporting period. It is important to note that due to the overlapping periods of availability, if a Reporting Entity changes the method used to calculate lost revenues, the system will recalculate total lost revenues for the entire period of availability, which may impact the previously reported unreimbursed lost revenues. Please refer to the Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements (PDF - 232 KB) for information on the three available methodologies for calculating lost revenues.

(Added 1/27/2022)