CARES Act Funds
Rheumatology practices that received CARES Act grants must submit reports on how they used these funds. HHS has relief funding information posted online, but the ACR shared members’ concerns about unclear reporting and audit requirements, said Dr. Phillips.
“They want to ensure that funds were used to keep practices open and allow us to continue caring for our patients,” Dr. Phillips said. HHS will not require grant recipients to report on a quarterly basis, but its inspectors will monitor for fraudulent activities and may contact recipients for tax documents or proof of loss of income.
Although the HHS has indicated it will develop a reporting template for providers who receive funding, the ACR suggests keeping detailed ledgers of COVID-related expenses and losses in case of an audit. Any funds not spent by the end of the pandemic emergency must be returned to HHS. Currently, loans are taxable income, but the HHS is expected to change these to non-taxable grants, said Dr. Phillips.
COVID-related alerts are updated regularly on the ACR website at https://www.rheumatology.org/Announcements/COVID-19-Practice-and-Advocacy. ACR and ARP members may send individual questions to [email protected].
Susan Bernstein is a freelance journalist based in Atlanta.
