Please Note: On May 28, 2021, this article was updated to reflect recent clarifications from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), including an example calculation of a COVID-19-related expense, clarification that the loss of revenue due to a decline in census will not be considered a direct expense for purposes of this application, and an estimated approval timeline as outlined further below.
On May 19, 2021, FSSA released a bulletin outlining relief for COVID-19-related expenses for Aged & Disabled (A&D) Waiver assisted living providers utilizing Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2021.
Please note, this relief utilizing CARES Act funding is separate and distinct from the enhanced FMAP that has been made available to states through the American Rescue Plan. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released guidance on May 13 regarding how states may utilize the enhanced FMAP, which FSSA is currently reviewing. IHCA/INCAL will continue to communicate with FSSA on this front and keep you updated.
Further details of the CARES Act relief funding that was released on May 19 is as follows:
- Application: The application for A&D Waiver assisted living providers to apply for CARES Act relief funding for COVID-19-related expenses can be found here.
- Expense Time Period: CARES Act relief funds may only be used to reimburse COVID-19-related expenses incurred on behalf of Medicaid waiver participants between February 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
- COVID-19-Related Expenses: COVID-19-related expenses include housekeeping, maintenance, personal protective equipment, dietary, room delivery, COVID-19-related training, COVID-19 testing and/or screening for residents and/or staff, overtime pay, hero pay, technology enhancements, and other COVID-19-related expenses (a description must be provided for “other”). COVID-19-related expenses are those expenses that are over and above the normal expense of doing business. For example, if monthly dietary costs for waiver residents are normally $100,000 per month, but $150,000 in a COVID-impacted month (i.e., due to delivery of meals, additional sanitation efforts, etc.), the COVID-19-related expense would be $50,000.
- Non-COVID-19-Related Expenses: FSSA confirmed that loss of revenue due to a decline in census will not be considered a direct expense for purposes of this application. Further, COVID-19-related expenses incurred on behalf of non-waiver residents, managed care, private insurance, or private pay residents are not eligible for reimbursement under this plan.
- Federal Relief: When providing information on previous federal relief, please include all relief received, and not just those amounts for waiver residents. This will not affect the amount of state aid and is being asked for informational purposes only.
- Application Submission: Completed applications should be signed, scanned, and submitted via email to Stephen.Bordenkecher2@fssa.IN.gov no later than July 31, 2021.
- Approval Timeline: The exact timeline for approval of applications is unknown, although FSSA expects payments to be issued within 30 days of the end of the application period. Payments will be issued in bulk using Gainwell Technologies as the payment intermediary.
If you have questions, please contact Elizabeth Eichhorn at EEichhorn@ihca.org.