HRSA Reporting Portal and Provider Relief Fund FAQs
/The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) opened the long awaited Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal on July 1, 2021. In addition to opening the reporting portal:
HHS provided the reporting data entry worksheets
HRSA scheduled a reporting technical assistance webcast on July 8th
The Provider Relief Fund frequently asked questions (FAQs) were updated as of July 1, 2021
We have links to HHS reporting portal website and the FAQs with the July 1st updates on our website, MSL CPAs & Advisors to assist in identifying the added items. The following are some of the July 1st added updates that we wanted to highlight:
For Option i and Option ii, lost revenues are calculated for each quarter during the period of availability, as a standalone calculation, with 2019 quarters serving as a baseline. For each calendar year of reporting, the applicable quarters where lost revenues are demonstrated are totaled to determine an annual lost revenues amount. The applicable quarter’s lost revenues are then added together to arrive at annual lost revenues.
The Other Assistance Received reported to HRSA will not be used in the calculation of expenses or lost revenues. Reporting Entities are expected to make a determination of their expenses applied to Provider Relief Fund payments after considering “Other Assistance Received” and taking into account that Provider Relief Fund payments may not be used for expenses or lost revenues that other sources have reimbursed or that other sources are obligated to reimburse.
For purchases of tangible items made using Provider Relief Fund payments, the purchase does not need to be in the Reporting Entity’s possession (i.e., backordered personal protective equipment, capital equipment) to be considered an eligible expense. However, the costs must be incurred before the Deadline to Use Funds. Providers must follow their basis of accounting (e.g., cash, accrual, or modified accrual) to determine expenses.
Providers that already have a cost allocation methodology in place at the time they received funds, may allocate normal and reasonable overhead costs to their subsidiaries, which may be an eligible expense if attributable to coronavirus and not reimbursed from other sources.
HRSA will not approve extensions on the use of funds for any providers. Any unused funds must be returned to the government following the relevant Reporting Time Period.
Provider Relief Fund payments may be applied to expenses or lost revenues attributable to coronavirus, after netting the other funds received or obligated to be received which offset those expenses. If a provider has submitted an application to FEMA, but has not yet received the FEMA funds, the provider should not report the requested FEMA amounts in the Provider Relief Fund report. If FEMA funds are received during the same Payment Received Period in which provider is reporting on use of Provider Relief Fund payments, the receipt and application of each payment type is required in the Provider Relief Fund reporting process. If an entity receives a retroactive payment from FEMA that overlaps with the period of availability, the entity must not use the FEMA payment on expenses or lost revenues already reimbursed by Provider Relief Fund payments.
After the HRSA technical assistance reporting presentation, MSL will be hosting a webinar to review some the FAQs and Provider Relief Fund reporting requirements. Please be on the lookout for an email to register for the webinar and go to our website at MSL CPAs & Advisors for links the HRSA PRF Reporting data entry worksheets and the FAQs with highlighted July 1st updates.
