DHS Opens Second Round of Applications for Funds to Support Health Care Providers Affected by COVID-19

Starting Friday, September 4, the Department of Health Services (DHS) will once again be accepting applications for Wisconsin’s program to provide relief for specific types of health care service providers to offset losses or expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding being used was allotted to the state under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The second round of the CARES Act Provider Payment (CAPP) Program will use the same application as the first round and will be open to the same provider types with one addition:

• Home and community-based service providers, including providers for 1-2 bed adult family homes, day services, home health, personal care, pre-vocational and supported employment, respite care, supportive home care, and daily living skills training for children
• Assisted living facilities, including community-based residential facilities, 3-4 bed adult family homes, and resident care apartment complexes
• Nursing homes, including skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities
• Emergency medical services providers
• (new) Emergency physician independent practice groups*

The second round application will allow eligible providers to include COVID-19-related losses and expenses for June, July and August of 2020. Also, in calculating the second round of payments, DHS will not deduct other CARES Act payments that providers have received (including Payroll Protection Program loans).

“We know that dealing with the operational effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a long-term effort for our health care providers,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “While it is impossible to address all their needs, DHS is glad to be able to provide this support to those who have been doing so much to take care of the people of Wisconsin during the pandemic.”

DHS encourages all eligible providers to apply. Previous applicants will not be able to change the March, April, and May amounts they submitted originally, but those amounts will be used in the calculation of the second round payment. More detailed information on how payments will be calculated can be found on the CAPP Program page of the DHS website.

Providers interested in applying during the second round should go to the CAPP Program page for more information and a link to the application. The application period will run from September 4 until September 30, with checks mailed to successful applicants by the end of October. DHS will be offering four webinars during the weeks of September 7 and 14 to help walk interested providers through the application process. More information on these events is available on the CAPP Program page.

*Emergency physician independent practice groups are private physician groups owned by or employing state-licensed emergency physicians. Eligible groups must have an emergency medicine taxonomy and hold a Wisconsin Medicaid specialty certification for emergency medicine.

For up-to-date information about Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage. We encourage you to follow @DHSWI on Facebook(link is external), Twitter(link is external), or dhs.wi on Instagram(link is external) for more information on COVID-19.