The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has extended the amount of time that recipients of payments from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund have to accept the terms and conditions of the program, the AMA reported yesterday.

Recipients will now have 45 days, instead of 30 days, from the date they receive a payment to attest to receipt and accept the terms and conditions or return the funds. 

For example, the initial 30-day deadline for providers who received payment on April 10, 2020, is extended to May 24 from May 9, 2020. With the extension, not returning the payment within 45 days of receipt will be viewed as acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

As ISMA has previously reported, the Provider Relief Fund payments are being allocated to physicians and other health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will be used to support health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get treatment for COVID-19.

Visit hhs.gov/providerrelief for more information on the allocations.