OIG: Selected Home Health Agencies Compliant With Provider Relief Fund

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of 25 selected home health agencies (HHA) to determine if they expended taxpayer funds in accordance with the terms, conditions and requirements for Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments. As a result of the review, the selected HHAs were found compliant with PRF guidelines.

Why OIG Did This Audit

The PRF, a $178 billion program, aims to provide funds to eligible providers for health care-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. The Department of Health and Human Services was responsible for initial PRF program oversight and policy decisions, while the Health Resources and Services Administration administers the PRF program.

OIG said providers that receive PRF payments must ensure the payments are: 

•    Used to prevent, prepare for or respond to COVID-19
•    Used for health care-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19
•    Not used to cover expenses or losses reimbursed by other funding sources
•    Not used to pay salaries in excess of a certain threshold or to pay for certain prohibited activities

This audit is part of an OIG series of reviewing PRF payments to various provider types. 

What OIG Found

OIG found that the selected HHAs complied with terms, conditions and federal requirements for expending PRF funds. Additionally, the selected HHAs reported that they used $108.7 million of their PRF payments to offset lost revenues, $58.8 million for general and administrative expenses and $42.1 million for health care-related expenses.

What OIG Recommends

Due to OIG determining the selected HHAs complied with requirements for expending PRF funds, the report did not contain any recommendations.