The deadline to apply for the fourth phase of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund is Oct. 26.
The application process opens Sept. 29 and all applications must be submitted online in the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal .
The Provider Relief Fund was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and allows eligible dental service providers to apply for payments, not loans, made for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19.
According to HRSA , Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments will be based on providers’ changes in operating revenues and expenses from July 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. The fourth phase also includes new elements “specifically focused on equity, including reimbursing smaller providers for their changes in operating revenues and expenses at a higher rate compared to larger providers, and bonus payments based on the amount of services providers furnish to Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicare patients,” the agency said.
Payments can be used for lost revenues or eligible expenses incurred from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2022.
HRSA also noted:
Providers who have previously created an account in the Provider Relief Fund portal but have not logged in for more than 90 days will need to first reset their password before starting a new application.
HRSA will be holding webinars to assist providers on navigating the portal. The first webinar will be Sept. 30 from 3-4 p.m. ET, and there is a second webinar scheduled Oct. 5 from 3-4 p.m. ET.
For more information about eligibility requirements, documents and information needed, and application process, visit the HRSA website .
The ADA has an updated FAQ to help dentists who may have questions about the Provider Relief Fund.
HRSA also is assisting providers with a Provider Support Line at 1-866-569-3522 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
To promote transparency in the Provider Relief Fund program, HHS has released detailed information about the methods it used to calculate Phase 3 payments, and providers who believe their Phase 3 payment was not calculated correctly will have the opportunity to request a reconsideration. The agency will be releasing more information on the reconsideration process soon.
For more information about the ADA's advocacy efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit ADA.org/COVID19Advocacy .