AHA urges HHS to extend hospitals’ deadline to spend PRF payments

AHA today asked Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to allow providers that received funding prior to June 30, 2020 to use their COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund payments through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency or, at a minimum, through the end of 2021. AHA also expressed support for HHS continuing to allow those providers that received phase 3 funding in early 2021 to continue to utilize those funds through June 30, 2022.

“We thank you for taking steps to extend the deadline for some recipients of PRF payments,” AHA wrote. “However, as we discussed last week, not only are all hospitals and health systems continuing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the uncertainty in federal rules has hindered many providers’ abilities to use the funds within the allotted timeframes. In addition, the four different deadlines will be confusing to administer and will disproportionately impact some providers more than others.”