Since COVID-19 strong-armed its way to the forefront of the US media in March 2020, we’ve seen hundreds, even thousands of news stories, opinion pieces, and agency reports on related topics ranging from its impact on schools and employment to the CARES Act and other financial support. In the last several weeks, the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, its approval process, distribution priority groups, and the like have dominated headlines, and are weighing heavily on the minds of those in the LTC community – residents, employees, and leaders alike. We’ve outlined a breakdown of what’s happened to date, what’s coming next, and what you need to know.

Back in August, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the Provider Relief Fund, Performance-Based Incentive Plan (“Plan”), allocating up to $2 Billion dollars in relief to the LTC industry.   Plan eligibility is open to nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that are certified in the state in which they receive CMS reimbursement, and report data to CASPER, NHC, or POS.   Whether, and how much funding is received, is tied to two measures of performance:  1) whether the facility’s COVID-19 infection rate is lower than its county’s rate, and 2) whether the facility’s COVID-19 mortality rate falls below a nationally established performance threshold for mortality among nursing home residents infected with COVID-19.   Eligibility is determined on a monthly basis and is automatically evaluated based on the facility’s submission of data to the CDC; no specific or formal application is required!