Selected HHAs Complied With Fed Rules for Provider Relief Fund Payments
The selected home health agencies complied with the terms and conditions and federal requirements for expending Provider Relief Funds (PRF) funds, according to a new Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
The $178 billion PRF program provided funds to eligibile providers for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. HHS was responsible for initial PRF program oversight and policy decisions, and HRSA administers the PRF program.
This audit is part of a series reviewing PRF payments to various provider types. Specifically, this audit assessed whether 25 selected home health agencies (HHA) expended taxpayer funds in accordance with Federal and program requirements.
Providers receiving PRF payments were to ensure that the payments were:
- used to prevent, prepare for, or respond to COVID-19;
- used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19;
- not used to cover expenses or losses reimbursed by other funding sources; and
- not used to pay salaries in excess of a certain threshold or to pay for certain prohibited activities.
OIG found that the selected HHAs complied with terms and conditions and Federal requirements for expending PRF funds.
The selected HHAs reported that they used $108.7 million of their PRF payments to offset lost revenues, $58.8 million for general and administrative expenses, and $42.1 million for health care-related expenses.
OIG omitted its usual recommendations based on the results of the audit, as the report revealed that the selected HHAs complied with the terms and conditions and federal requirements for expending PRF funds.
