Recent Law Hampers Provider Relief Portal Launch
While providers can register on the PRF portal, reporting requirements remain unavailable. Also providers should have key information on-hand, otherwise the registration process could time out on them.
- By Andrea Stark
- Jan 21, 2021
Though the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal officially opened as scheduled on Jan. 15, PRF recipients can do little more than register on the site. The current version does not permit users to submit any information related to the use of funds.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its partner agencies are updating reporting elements in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act passed on Dec. 27, 2020. The agencies did not specify when the reporting features will be available, but suppliers that received more than $10,000 from the PRF should register now to receive email notifications and updates.
HHS estimates users will spend approximately 20 minutes completing the registration path. The portal will, however, time out after 15 minutes of inactivity, and frustrated users will lose all in-progress data. To avoid setbacks, registrants should compile the following required information for each non-consolidated reporting entity before starting the process:
- Tax Identification Number (TIN).
- Business name and address of the reporting entity (as listed on Form W-9).
- Name, phone number, and email of the responsible submitter.
- TIN for each subsidiary, if reporting on behalf of subsidiaries.
Registrants must further verify their identity with the following details of the PRF payment:
- TIN of entity that received the payment.
- Payment amount.
- Mode of payment (check or direct deposit ACH).
- Check number or ACH settlement date.
For those that received more than one disbursement, the specifics for any single payment will work.
Portal registration is an important first step. Once the portal is fully functional, recipients will likely have 30 days to report eligible expenses incurred through December 31, 2020. If reported eligible expenses and losses do not exhaust PRF receipts by June 30, 2021, suppliers will have to return unused funds.
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About the Author
Andrea Stark is a Medicare consultant and reimbursement specialist with MiraVista LLC (www.miravistallc.com), where she helps home medical equipment suppliers, hospitals, and pharmacies. Stark began here career in the Medicare field in 1998, starting with five years working for Medicare at the Region C DMERC, Palmetto GBA, and then co-founding MiraVista in 2003.
Andrea Stark is a Medicare consultant and reimbursement specialist for medical equipment suppliers, hospitals, and pharmacies.