The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), has announced assisted living facilities (ALFs) may
now apply for funding under the Provider Relief Fund Phase 2 General Distribution
allocation. This announcement bolsters the Trump administration’s
commitment to support health care providers in addressing both the economic
harm and additional expenses caused by the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19).This funding was made possible through the bipartisan CARES Act
and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act.
“HHS is committed to ensuring
America’s healthcare providers have what they need to protect their
patients and continue providing care through the pandemic,“ said HHS
Secretary Alex Azar. “By expanding the Provider Relief Fund to assisted
living facilities, we are supporting more frontline providers and helping
to protect the nearly 1 million vulnerable older Americans in their care.”
Through its ongoing efforts to
support providers in need, HHS is inviting ALFs that may have been
previously ineligible to apply for Phase 2 General Distribution funding.
ALFs support older adults and people with disabilities with a wide range of
assistance for activities of daily living. Nearly 1 million older adults
live in an estimated 28,000 assisted living facilities across the U.S.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ALFs and
the population they serve are particularly vulnerable to the spread and
impact of COVID-19. To combat this risk and better protect their residents,
many ALFs have implemented CDC recommendations that have resulted in
increased health care related costs to their facilities. HHS is encouraging
ALFs to apply for funding to help minimize the financial hardships of these
increased expenses caused by COVID-19.
Like other providers applying for
Phase 2 funding, eligible ALFs will receive 2 percent of their annual
revenue from patient care. Helpful information for these providers can
be found at the Provider Relief Fund website,
which includes previously recorded Phase 2 application webinars, frequently
asked questions (FAQs) and other information on how to apply through the
recently simplified application process. Assisted living facilities, like
all providers applying for the current Phase 2 General Distribution funding
will have until September 13, 2020 to begin their application by entering
their Tax Identification Number (TIN) for validation.
For updated information and data on
the Provider Relief Fund, visit: hhs.gov/providerrelief.
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