$100 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds Available for Community Health Centers
by
Kinman Tong, Partner, and
Georgia Green, Manager, Health Care Consulting Practice
On March 24, 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the release of $100 million of COVID-19 funding for community health centers (CHC) to use during fiscal year 2020.
Awards range from approximately $50,000 to more than $300,000, averaging approximately $70,000 per CHC. Each award is calculated by adding together the following components:
- Base value of $50,464
- $0.50 per patient reported in the 2018 Uniform Data System (UDS)
- $2.50 per uninsured patient reported in the 2018 UDS
Submission Details
To expedite distribution of this critical funding, HRSA plans to make funds immediately available. The reporting requirements state that CHCs should provide the HRSA with a list of activities and costs to be supported by the funding by April 23, 2020. This list should include the following components:
- Activity overview
- Budget
- Budget narrative with personnel justification
- Equipment list
Expenditure Tracking
HRSA will issue award notices for COVID-19 grant funding separately from awards for the standard CHC grants. COVID-19 grant funds are available for immediate use and will continue to be available for a 12-month period. They may be used for pre-award costs permitted for COVID-19 prevention, preparedness, and response-related expenses dating back to January 20, 2020.
CHCs need to track expenditures for the COVID-19 grant funds separately from expenditures related to other HRSA grant funds. As such, it’s important CHCs develop a budget and determine the activities and costs that will be supported by the funding—including any pre-award costs. The award notice will contain specific terms and conditions that should be referenced for tracking purposes.
We’re Here to Help
For additional support around your around submission or implementing funds, contact partner Kinman Tong or manager Georgia Green.
Additional Resources
For regulatory updates, strategies to help cope with subsequent risk, and possible steps to bolster your workforce and organization, please see the following resources:
Kinman Tong has been in public accounting since 2003. He serves a diverse spectrum of not-for-profit and government entities, including health care organizations, institutions of higher education, foundations, international nongovernmental organizations, and others. He can be reached at (415) 677-8267 or kinman.tong@mossadams.com.
Georgia Green has worked in the health care industry since 2011. She provides strategic and operational consulting services to health care providers and payers and has extensive experience helping clients integrate value-based care models from start to finish. She can be reached at (916) 503-8251 or georgia.green@mossadams.com.