Resources

Client Alerts, News Articles, Blog Posts, & Multimedia

Everything you need to know about BMD and the industry.

July 20 is Important Deadline for HHS Fund Distributions to Medicaid and CHIP Providers

Client Alert
June 19, 2020

On June 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released details on the distribution of more CARES Act Provider Relief Fund payments. After allocating $50 billion to Medicare providers through its General Distribution fund, HHS has now announced that it will distribute $15 billion to eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers who apply by the deadline through a Targeted Distribution. Applicants must apply through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal. The application form itself can be found on the HHS website and is due by July 20, 2020.

In order to qualify for part of the Targeted Distribution for Medicaid and CHIP providers, practices and individual practitioners must meet all of the following requirements:

  1. Must not have received payment from the $50 billion General Distribution; and
  2. Must have directly billed Medicaid (or Medicaid Managed Care Plans) for healthcare-related services during the period of January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, or (ii) own (on the application date) an included subsidiary that has billed Medicaid for healthcare-related services during the period of January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019; and
  3. Must have either (i) filed a federal income tax return for fiscal years 2017, 2018 or 2019 or (ii) be an entity exempt from the requirement to file a federal income tax return and have no beneficial owner that is required to file a federal income tax return. (e.g. a state-owned hospital or healthcare clinic); and
  4. Must have provided patient care after January 31, 2020; and
  5. Must not have permanently ceased providing patient care directly, or indirectly through included subsidiaries; and
  6. If the applicant is an individual, have gross receipts or sales from providing patient care reported on Form 1040, Schedule C, Line 1, excluding income reported on a W-2 as a (statutory) employee.

Note that if a provider received a General Distribution payment and returned it, they will not be eligible for this Targeted Distribution.

The final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients the provider serves. Payments will be allocated based on this formula:

Payment Allocation = 2% (Gross Revenues x Percent of Gross Revenues from Patient Care)

The provider requesting an allocation will specify in their application whether they want to base this calculation on calendar year 2017, 2018 or 2019 revenues. Payments will be disbursed on a rolling basis, as information is validated by HHS. Providers who qualify should apply as soon as possible to ensure they meet the July 20th deadline and do not get stuck waiting for validation.

Once a provider is approved for and receives Targeted Distribution funds, they will have 90 days to accept the payment and attest to certain Terms & Conditions. The Terms & Conditions are very similar to the General Distribution attestations, but recipients of the Targeted Distribution funds should read through them carefully to ensure they can truthfully attest to each one. If a provider finds they cannot satisfy one of the Terms & Conditions they should return their payment back to HHS within the 90-day period following receipt of the payment.

Also like the General Distribution funds, the Targeted Distribution funds may only be used to reimburse the provider for health care expenses incurred in the prevention, preparation for, and response to coronavirus or for lost revenues attributable to coronavirus. Providers may not use the Targeted Distribution funds to pay for expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources. Additionally, the Targeted Distributions Funds are characterized as federal grants, which require the provider to take the following steps:

  • Adopt a policy regarding the proper use of the funds, procedure for ensuring proper use of the funds, and appointment of a compliance officer.
  • Ensure proper maintenance of records and documentation of expenditures as HHS can audit over a 3-year lookback period.
  • If the provider has received Paycheck Protection Program or other coronavirus-related funds, the provider must submit separate reports and account for each pool of funds separately.

For those interested, HHS is hosting complimentary webcasts next week. Click here for more information.

If you need assistance in determining whether you qualify for a Targeted Distribution or have questions about the application, please contact BMD Health Law Attorney Ashley Watson at abwatson@bmdllc.com. If you received Provider Relief Funds from either the General Distribution or Targeted Distribution, please contact Amanda Waesch at alwaesch@bmdllc.com or 330-253-9185 for questions related to the HHS Provider Relief Fund Policy.

HHSCARES ActProvider Relief FundGeneral Distribution fundMedicaidCHIPTargeted DistributionEnhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment PortalBMD Healthcare & Hospital LawAshley WatsonAmanda L. Waeschhealthcare providers
Client Alert

The Rising Threat from Insiders – Get Your House in Order

November 16, 2021As its name implies, an ‘Insider Threat’ originates inside an organization. An ‘insider’ is any person who has or had authorized access to or knowledge of an organization’s resources, including personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks, and systems. ‘Insider threat’ can manifest from malicious, complacent, negligent or unintentional acts that negatively affect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the organization, its data, personnel, or facilities. Certainly, ‘Insider Threat’ can be an activity by a bad actor employee, but can also arise from an inadvertent or unknowing action inside an organization (such as an employee who unintentionally opens a phishing email or clicks on a malicious link).Client Alert

In Cybersecurity– A Good Offense is the Best Defense

November 16, 20212021 has been a watershed moment for cybersecurity incidents as cybercrime has become a frequent headline and cyber criminals have thrived on unsuspecting and/or unprepared businesses and institutions. For example, the Solar Winds attack exposed sensitive data from top companies like Microsoft as well government agencies[1] and the Colonial Pipeline attack substantially disrupted the petroleum supply chain[2]. We have seen an almost 20% increase in data breaches and attacks since last year.Client Alert

Changes to Medicare’s Physician Fee Schedule and Outpatient Prospective Payment System

November 15, 2021Come the beginning of 2022, both the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“MPFS”) and Outpatient Prospective Payment System (“OPPS”) will look a little different. As a refresher, the MPFS lists the fees associated with reimbursement of services to providers at certain facilities, taking into account geography and costs. By contrast, OPPS sets reimbursement rates for hospitals and community mental health centers for outpatient services, which are determined in advance. A summary of some of the more pertinent changes to each rule will be outlined below.Client Alert

CMS to Once Again Reprocess Outpatient Clinic Claims

November 11, 2021The Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Rule was passed in November 2018, which was intended to prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from paying more for services rendered in outpatient settings than what they paid for the same services rendered in physician offices that are simply owned by hospitals or health systems.[1]Client Alert

New Vaccine Requirement for Select CMS-Participating Facilities

November 10, 2021On November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (“CMS”) released a new rule requiring certain healthcare facilities to implement policies requiring employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. It does not matter if a staff member does not perform patient treatment services, they must still be vaccinated if an employee of an applicable facility.
Older posts
Newer posts