Distribution of HHS Emergency Fund grants began on April 10. Terms and conditions of the grants require physicians to attest that they diagnose, treat, and/or test patients for COVID-19. Concerns arose regarding the terms of the attestations.
The AMA brought these concerns to the Secretary’s office and Health and Human Services posted clarifying language as follows:
If you ceased operation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are still eligible to receive funds so long as you provided diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19. Care does not have to be specific to treating COVID-19. HHS broadly views every patient as a possible case of COVID-19.
The second provision of the Terms and Conditions has also been changed. It no longer states that providers attest to “currently” taking care of patients; just that they did so after 1/31/2020:
The Recipient certifies that it billed Medicare in 2019; provides or provided after January 31, 2020, diagnoses, testing, or care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19; is not currently terminated from participation in Medicare; is not currently excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs; and does not currently have Medicare billing privileges revoked.
