Cares Act Provider Relief Fund: Uninsured and Insured
Cares Act Provider Relief Fund: What Does This Mean For The Uninsured and Insured?
The Cares Act Provider Relief Fund is intended to provide funding to medical providers for care related to COVID-19 for uninsured individuals. This funding will be given to providers with some exceptions. The providers receiving this funding have not had Medicare privileges revoked. Medical providers will be reimbursed for seeing uninsured patients at Medicare rates. If you are uninsured, yet receive a bill related to the treatment of COVID-19, call that provider and questions the bill. After all, the Cares Act Provider Relief Fund was paid for by taxpayers. If you are unsure if your provider received funds from the Cares Act Provider Relief Fund, there is a provider list of those who received funding.
For the insured, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is an amendment to the Cares Act, and is a requirement for private insurers to waive cost-share for testing and treatment related to COVID-19. However, if you receive related medical bills, contact your health plan to question waiving the cost-share amount. President Donald Trump added in the Cares Act Provider Relief Fund that providers who receive relief money are not able to collect payment more than what an in-network provider would require the patient to pay (Health and Human Services). While some health plans do have limited timeframes, call and question when being billed for COVID-19 care. It is important to raise questions.
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