Targeted Distribution Questions

The incentive payment program is scheduled to be divided into four performance periods (September, October, November, December), lasting a month each. All nursing homes or SNFs meeting the payment qualifications will be eligible for each of the four performance periods. Nursing homes will be assessed based on a full month's worth of data submissions, which will then undergo additional HHS review and auditing before payments are issued after the close of the reporting period.

(Updated 1/28/2021)

No.  If a provider did not own the facility that qualified for a Quality Incentive Program payment during the applicable month on which the payment was based under the Quality Incentive Program and subsequently purchased the facility, the provider must return the payment to HHS.  HHS makes payments based on the most current financial information available, which may not reflect the owner’s information during the applicable reporting period, in the event of a sale.  The current owner may still receive and retain funds for other reporting periods in which it did own the facility if it otherwise meets the eligibility criteria.

(Added 1/12/2021)

The infection gateway criterion specifically excludes facilities that are found to have an infection rate exceeding the estimated infection rate in their county during the performance period.  County infection rates are measured using daily COVID-19 community profile reports (CPRs) disseminated under the HHS Protect data program.  CPRs contain information on the rate of COVID-19 infections for all residents in each county.  County infection rates are not the same as county positivity rates.

(Added 12/28/2020)

Payments from the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution may be used to cover "hiring" expenses related to both recruiting new hires and the continued payment and retention of existing staff to provide patient care or administrative support.

(Added 10/5/2020)

Nursing homes will not have to apply to receive a share of this incentive payment allocation.  HHS will be measuring nursing home performance and distributing payments based on required nursing home data submissions. To be eligible to receive an incentive payment, a facility must have an active certification as a nursing home or skilled nursing facility (SNF) and must also receive reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  HHS will review nursing home certification status through the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) to identify and remove facilities that have a terminated, expired, or revoked certification or enrollment. Facilities must also report data to Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER), which will be used to establish eligibility and collect necessary provider data to inform payment.

Additionally, nursing homes must meet two criteria in order to be eligible for payment. First, a facility must demonstrate a rate of COVID-19 infections that is below the rate of infection in the county in which they are located. Second, facilities must also have a COVID-19 death rate that falls below a nationally established performance threshold for mortality among nursing home residents infected with COVID-19.

(Added 9/18/2020)

No. The same Terms and Conditions and restrictions on use of funds apply to the quality incentive payments received by nursing homes as under the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution. Quality incentive payments may only be used for the infection control expenses, as that term is defined in the Terms and Conditions.  These include costs associated with administering COVID-19 testing for both staff and residents; reporting COVID-19 test results to local, state, or federal governments; hiring staff to provide patient care or administrative support; incurring expenses to improve infection control, including activities such as implementing infection control "mentorship" programs with subject matter experts, or changes made to physical facilities; and providing additional services to residents, such as technology that permits residents to connect with their families if the families are not able to visit in person.

(Updated 12/4/2020)

Facilities will have their performance measured on two outcomes. First, facilities will be evaluated based on their overall COVID-19 infection rate among residents. Second, facilities will be evaluated based on their performance for COVID-19 mortality among residents.

Performance measurements for each facility will be evaluated based on the population-wide rate of COVID-19 infection in the geographic area in which a facility is located. The goal is to appropriately evaluate facility performance by measuring the baseline level of infection in the community in which a facility is located.

In order to measure facility COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, the incentive program will make use of data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Long-term Care Facility Component COVID-19 Module. Within the NHSN module, the program will incorporate weekly reported data on COVID infections, COVID mortality, and the total count of occupied beds.

In addition, admissions of COVID-19-positive patients will be considered in order to focus accountability on infections acquired among existing residents. Using this weekly information, each facility will receive measurements of their COVID-19 infections per resident and COVID-19 deaths per resident in each performance month.

There will be an additional measurement of the baseline level of COVID-19 infection in the general community in which a facility is located. In order to measure the baseline infection rate, the program will make use of weekly updates of data included in CDC's Community Profile Reports (CPRs). Data from the CPRs includes county-level information on total confirmed and/or suspected COVID infections per capita, which will be used to measure the baseline infection rate for all eligible facilities located in that county.

(Added 9/18/2020)

Given their congregate nature and resident population of older adults – often with underlying chronic medical conditions – nursing homes are high risk environments that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.   HHS is distributing $5 billion to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities to build skills and enhance response to COVID-19, including enhanced infection control. Of this amount, HHS will provide approximately $2.5 billion in upfront funding to nursing homes to support increased testing, staffing, and personal protective equipment (PPE) needs.  HHS plans on distributing another $2 billion to nursing homes later this fall based on certain performance indicators that will be shared in the future.

(Added 8/27/2020)

HHS is distributing an initial $2.5 billion of the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution funding to support nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities in conducting appropriate testing, acquiring necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), investing in staff, to improve infection control. Eligible nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities will receive a per-facility payment of $10,000 plus a per-bed payment of $1,450 in the first round of this distribution.

Additionally, $2 billion in funding will be distributed at a later time for nursing home performance in improving safety and minimizing COVID-19 spread and COVID-19 related fatalities among residents and training, mentorship, and instruction on infection prevention and control in nursing homes across the country. Please check back on https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief for updates.

(Added 8/27/2020)

Nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that are not revoked, have an active CMS certification, and have at least 6 certified beds, were deemed eligible to receive payments.

(Added 8/27/2020)

The Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution can only be used for the infection control expenses defined in the Terms and Conditions. These include costs associated with administering COVID-19 testing for both staff and residents; reporting COVID-19 test results to local, state, or federal governments; hiring staff to provide patient care or administrative support; incurring expenses to improve infection control, including activities such as implementing infection control "mentorship" programs with subject matter experts, or changes made to physical facilities; and providing additional services to residents, such as technology that permits residents to connect with their families if the families are not able to visit in person.

(Added 8/27/2020)

This distribution supplements the $4.9 billion that was previously distributed to skilled nursing facilities. This distribution provides nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities upfront funding to address critical needs in nursing homes including hiring additional staff, implementing infection control programs, increasing testing, and providing additional services, such as technology so residents can connect with their families if they are not able to visit. Because of the limits on use of funds, the Terms and Conditions for this distribution differ from those placed on the Skilled Nursing Facility Targeted Distribution and other Targeted Distributions payments under the Provider Relief Fund. The Terms and Conditions for the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution specifically prohibit recipients from taking any actions inconsistent with the best interests of its patients in order to increase potential future outcomes-based payments based on the recipients' successful infection control outcomes.

(Added 8/27/2020)