DHS Launches Online Portal for Tracking CARES Act Funding

Today, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is launching an online portal (called the DHS CARES Act Funding Tracking Tool) for Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) providers to submit final costs in compliance with Act 24 of 2020 (CARES Act funding). DHS is requesting that providers complete the COVID-19 Act 24 cost reporting form and upload it through the online portal. Providers must keep all documentation related to the costs reported in the final cost report for a minimum of five years. The due date for the submission of the required final report has been extended to December 31, 2020.

To assist providers, DHS has provided the following guidance and tips:

• Username and Password Credentials
  • If you are a new user, you will receive two emails from PW, Unified Security inbox The first email will contain your username. The second email will contain your temporary password for first-time sign in.
  • If you have an existing Commonwealth Business Partner account (“b-” ID), you will receive a username reminder email tomorrow. Please use this username to login to the tool.
• Updating Provider Contact
  • If you will not be completing the final report for your organization and would like to change the user associated, please complete the DHS COVID Tracking – User Change Request form to start the process to set up their credentials. Note that this process may take a few business days.
• Attestation
  • When completing the report for your entity, an attestation is required. The attestation language is as follows: I, [ENTER NAME OF PERSON WITH THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN ON BEHALF OF THE LEGAL ENTITY BELOW], certify, subject to the terms and penalties of 18 Pa. C.S. §4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities), that the information contained in the forgoing Act 24 Cost Reporting Form is true and correct to the best of my knowledge following reasonable investigation, that the entity that I represent was in operation as of March 31, 2020, as required by Act 24 of 2020; and that the Act 24 of 2020 funds were used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic and reimburse health-care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to the coronavirus pandemic; and that the Act 24 of 2020 funds were not used for expenses or losses that have been or will be reimbursed from other sources.
• Final Report Template
  • Providers are required to upload the completed Excel template when completing the final report in the online portal.
• Online Portal Training and Support
  • Providers will receive a detailed DHS CARES Act Funding Tracking Tool Final Report User Guide with frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the launch date to help you navigate the new tool, answer any questions you may have, and provide troubleshooting information on browsers and passwords.
• Act 24 of 2020 Information
  • Governor Wolf signed Act 24 of 2020, which allocates funding from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – also known as the CARES Act – to assist providers with COVID-19 related costs. Funding from Act 24 must be used to cover necessary COVID-19 related costs incurred between March 1, 2020 and November 30, 2020 that have not been otherwise reimbursed by federal, state, or other sources of funding. To qualify for the one-time payment, a person or entity must have been in operation as of March 31, 2020. Under Act 24, $457 millionof COVID-19 relief funds were allocated to providers in OLTL programs.
  • Any person or entity accepting a COVID-19 payment must provide documentation to DHS, upon request, for purposes of determining compliance with Act 24 requirements. Providers were previously advised to keep documentation to demonstrate how the funds were used for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in case of an audit.
  • Providers are advised to review guidance such as the following for eligible COVID-19 costs on the US Department of Treasury website:  Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Guidance and Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Frequently-Asked-Questions. DHS guidance is also available in DHS Frequently Asked Questions.

Please Note: if you received a payment under Act 24 of 2020 from more than one Pennsylvania DHS program office, you may receive this notification more than once. However, you will only receive one login to the online portal and will be able to submit for all program offices and facilities at the same time.