The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that private-pay assisted living/memory care providers will be eligible to apply for CARES Act Provider Relief Funds under the current Phase 2 General Distribution round of funding. HHS also announced it will ship rapid antigen tests to assisted living communities.

Like other providers applying for Phase 2 funding, eligible assisted living communities will receive 2 percent of their annual revenue from patient care and will have until September 13, 2020 to begin their application. Please visit the Provider Relief Fund webpage for more information.

NCAL will carefully review this announcement and follow up with specific details to help you with your potential application.

Keep in mind that the $20 million available for COVID-19 expenses from the CARES Act money received by the state is intended to be the funding “of last resort.”  It is likely that DMAS will modify the invoice for assisted living facilities (ALFs) to include any funds received by the ALFs from the CARES Act per this announcement. ALFs should be able to use the direct CARES Act for costs incurred from the onset of the pandemic (per HHS terms and conditions) and not limited to after June 30, but DMAS will need to track those funds and expenditures to determine if any of the CARES Act money remains available after June 30. On the NF side, if any direct CARES Act relief remains available, access to the state’s allocation is not allowed until it is fully exhausted; we would anticipate that DMAS would also apply this approach on the ALF side for access to the $20 million. When we hear from DMAS regarding those plans, we will communicate them to the membership.

Rapid, Antigen Tests to be Delivered to Assisted Living Communities 

It was also announced by an HHS official that the federal government plans to ship rapid COVID-19 tests to assisted living communities across the country. The tests will come from a supply of 150 million ordered from test maker Abbott Laboratories, and are expected to be delivered in the coming two to three weeks.

As we learn more about these tests and the shipments, we will keep you informed.

These announcements are much-welcome news for assisted living providers who have been fighting over the last six months to keep your residents safe and stay afloat during this unprecedented crisis.