The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will distribute $333 million in first round performance payments to over 10,000 nursing facilities meeting qualifying criteria for Provider Relief Fund Infection Control Incentive Payments. This award is the first of five performance cycles with distributions for all cycles totaling $2.5 billion. The first performance cycle recognizes facilities with significant reductions in COVID-19 related infections and deaths between August and September. The award recognizes 77% of eligible nursing facilities nationwide. Within South Dakota, 78 facilities qualified for payments totaling $3,862,203, accounting for approximately 75% of South Dakota’s nursing facilities. To qualify for the Infection Control Incentive Payments, providers must demonstrate positive outcomes related to the spread and control of COVID-19 infections.
To qualify for the payment, facilities must demonstrate:
- A rate of COVID-19 infections within their facility that is below the rate of infection for the county that they are located in; and
- A COVID-19 mortality rate below 10% among SNF residents infected with COVID-19.
HHS identifies qualifying facilities using data from two sources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Community Profile Reports (CPRs) are utilized for county-level information on total confirmed and/or suspected COVID-19 infections per capita, as well as information on COVID-19 test positivity. To measure facility COVID-19 infection and mortality rates, the incentive program utilizes data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) LTCF COVID-19 module.
Nursing facilities will receive payment for the first round performance payments during the week of November 2.
More information on first round performance payments is available in this press release from HHS.
A state-by-state breakdown of the number of qualifying facilities and payments is available here.
