OLTL Releases Info on ARPA Funding Distribution

The following information was released from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) today regarding the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding distribution.

Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was allocated by the General Assembly and enacted by the Governor to provide $282 million to nursing facilities (NF), personal care homes (PCH), and assisted living residences (ALR). These ARPA funds should be used for COVID-19 relief for costs not otherwise reimbursed by federal, state, or other sources of funding. To qualify for the one-time payment, the facility must be in operation as of June 1, 2021.

OLTL is still working on the details of all of these payments. Providers should be expecting to receive a letter with more details about the payments, including information about the approved use of and reporting on these funds, in August of 2021.

Additionally, as OLTL did with the CARES Act payments, payment information by facility for NF, PCH, and ALRs will be posted to the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) website.

Nursing Facility Payments

Out of the $282 million, $247 million is allocated for NF payments. $198 million will be allocated to NF based on Medical Assistance (MA) days of care for the third quarter of calendar year 2019 and $49 million will be allocated based on licensed beds for all nursing facilities as of March 31, 2020.

NF providers enrolled in the MA program do not need to submit requests for the funding. All currently enrolled NFs will receive the funding provided they meet the criteria in the act.

OLTL is preparing the distribution of the funds as one-time gross adjustment for NFs currently enrolled in MA. Providers should expect to see the payment appear as a gross adjustment transaction/lump sum payment on a PROMISe remittance advice with payment issuance occurring nine days after the transaction appears on their remittance. OLTL’s intention is to distribute the payments in early fall 2021.

NFs who are not currently enrolled with MA must complete a form providing information for OLTL to issue the payment and return it to DHS. The form is currently being developed and will be posted on the DHS’ website in August 2021. Reminder messages will be sent to facilities when the form is posted on the DHS website. Checks will start to be issued and mailed in fall 2021. It is a manual process to prepare an invoice to generate a payment to a provider; thus the checks will be issued as the forms are processed.

PCH/ALR Payments

Out of the $282 million, $30 million was provided for payments to PCHs and ALRs. $27 million will be allocated based on the occupancy of the facility on or before April 1, 2020, and $3 million will be allocated proportionally based on the number of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) residents in the facility as of March of 2020.

PCH and ALRs must complete a form providing information for OLTL to issue the payment and return it to the Department. The form is currently being developed and will be posted on the DHS’ website in August 2021. Reminder messages will be sent to facilities when the form is posted on the DHS’ website. Checks will be issued and mailed starting in fall 2021. Please understand it is a manual process to prepare an invoice to generate a payment to a provider; thus checks will take time to be issued to the almost 1200 PCH and ALRs.

If you have questions about the above information, please contact the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939.