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- HHS Releases More Than $2 Billion in Provider Relief Funds
On January 24, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released more than $2 billion for the Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 General Distribution payments to more than 7,600 providers nationwide. The CAP had encouraged pathologists to utilize the financial assistance from these federal programs if needed and has provided resources for this and other programs.
Additionally, the HHS has $6 billion left in the phase 4 provider relief distribution. The $2 billion in additional relief is the first distribution that falls out of the four reporting periods rolled out by the HHS in June 2021.
This portion is based on providers’ losses and expenses from July 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, while relief recipients can use the funds to reimburse costs incurred from January 1, 2020, through at least December 31, 2022. The date that provider relief recipients received the Provider Relief Fund determines which spending deadline they must meet. Therefore, providers who received more than $10,000 in relief in the last reporting period, between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, have to spend until December 31, 2022.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has information and reporting instructions.
Phase 4 payments focus on equity, including reimbursing a higher percentage of losses for smaller providers and incorporating “bonus” payments for providers who serve Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare beneficiaries. Approximately 82% of all Phase 4 applications have now been processed.