The CARES Act provides $100 Billion in relief to hospitals and other healthcare providers. Beginning Friday, April 10th, the first $30 Billion of these funds were provided directly to Medicare participating healthcare providers. These funds were automatically deposited based on a calculation of 2019 Medicare fee for service claims.
These funds are not subject to repayment by the healthcare providers. However, as with all government programs these funds are not being provided without strings. There are lengthy terms and conditions attached to these funds https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/relief-fund-payment-terms-and-conditions-04092020.pdf. For example, “providers must agree not to seek collection of out-of-pocket payments from a COVID-19 patient that are greater than what the patient would have otherwise been required to pay if the care had been provided by an in-network provider.”
The full details surrounding the eligibility of yesterday’s distributions is provided in the HHS information contained below.
https://www.hhs.gov/provider-relief/index.html
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