Frequently Asked Questions

Health care entities who have conducted COVID-19 testing of uninsured individuals, provided treatment to uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 primary diagnosis, or administered a licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccine to uninsured individuals on or after February 4, 2020, can request claims reimbursement through the program electronically and will be reimbursed generally at Medicare rates, subject to available funding.

Any provider who is on the Office of the Inspector General U.S. Department of Health and Human Services List of Excluded Individuals/Entities and/or any provider who has had their Medicare enrollment revoked by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is ineligible to receive funding from the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program.

Health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing of uninsured individuals, provided treatment to uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis for dates of service or admittance, or provided COVID-19 vaccine administration to uninsured individuals on or after February 4, 2020, may be eligible for claims reimbursement through the program as long as the service(s) provided meet the coverage and billing requirements established as part of the program.

Pharmacies/pharmacists and those operating under their supervision who are legally authorized, including under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, to order and/or administer testing or vaccination services are eligible to request reimbursement for testing or vaccination administration under this program.

Under the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (Uninsured Program), health centers are eligible to seek reimbursement for conducting COVID-19 testing, providing treatment for uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnosis, or for administering a licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccine to uninsured individuals. Health Center Program requirements include an obligation under section 330(k)(3)(F) for health centers to make “every reasonable effort to collect appropriate reimbursement for its costs in providing health services” from potential payers (see also [Chapter 16: Billings and Collection, Health Center Compliance Manual]). Health Centers are also required to provide financial and budget information relating to nongrant fund program income. These requirements do not impact a health center’s eligibility to submit reimbursement claims to the Uninsured Program.

If a health center also receives Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grant funds under title XXVI of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, please refer to the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau website for further information . In addition, please continue to ensure that you are allocating and tracking appropriate grant funds.

In accordance with the requirements of the Uninsured Program, in order to seek reimbursement, a health center must agree to the following as attested at registration:

• You will accept defined program reimbursement as payment in full.
• You agree not to balance bill the patient.

Therefore, if a health center accepts reimbursement from the Uninsured Program, it may not balance bill/charge the patient.

For questions about Health Center Program billing and collections, sliding fee discount program, and other requirements please contact Health Center Program Support . More information about the Health Center Program is also available, including FAQs related to COVID-19 and health centers.

Providers must verify and attest that to the best of the provider's knowledge at the time of claim submission, the patient was uninsured at the time the services were provided. For claims for COVID-19 testing and testing-related items and services, this means that the patient did not have coverage through an individual or employer-sponsored plan, a federal health care program, or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. For claims for treatment of positive cases of COVID-19, this means that the patient did not have any health care coverage. For claims for vaccine administration, this means that the patient did not have any health care coverage. Providers may submit a claim for uninsured individuals before Medicaid eligibility determination is complete. However, if the provider learns that the individual is retroactively enrolled in Medicaid as of the date of service, the provider must return the payment to HRSA.

• First and last name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• *SSN and state of residence; if not available, enter state identification / driver’s license
• Date of service for professional, institutional outpatient services.
• Date of admission and date of discharge for institutional inpatient services.
• **Address
• Middle initial (optional)
• Patient account number (optional)

* A SSN and state of residence, or state identification / driver’s license is needed to verify patient eligibility. If a SSN and state of residence, or state identification / driver’s license is not submitted, you will need to attest that you attempted to capture this information before submitting a claim and the patient did not have this information at the time of service, or that you did not have direct contact with the patient and thus did not have an opportunity to attempt to capture this information. Claims submitted without a SSN and state of residence, or state identification/driver’s license may take longer to verify for patient eligibility.

**If the individual is unable or unwilling to provide their address, please add the address of the facility where the care was provided or other location that may be appropriate (e.g., shelter).

For claims for COVID-19 Testing and Testing-Related Items and Services, a patient is considered uninsured if the patient does not have any coverage through an individual or employer-sponsored plan, a federal health care program, or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program at the time the services were rendered. For claims for treatment for positive cases of COVID-19, a patient is considered uninsured if the patient did not have any health care coverage at the time the services were rendered. For claims for vaccine administration, this means that the patient did not have any health care coverage at the time the service was rendered.

If a provider receives a message stating the member is insured but believes this coverage information is outdated or not applicable, they may request reconsideration of eligibility by providing documentation indicating that the individual did not have health care coverage on the date of service. Providers must submit one of the following in the program portal to support their eligibility reconsideration request:

• employer termination letter on employer letterhead
• insurance claim denial letter or denial Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
• 271 transaction: Electronic Eligibility submission

After review of submitted documentation a temporary member ID may be published to the program portal within one business day and be visible in the provider's patient roster screen if it is confirmed that the individual did not have health care coverage at the time of service.

Health care providers are not required to confirm immigration status prior to submitting claims for reimbursement. Health care providers who have conducted COVID-19 testing of any uninsured individual, provided treatment to any uninsured individual with a COVID-19 primary diagnosis , or administered a licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccine to an uninsured individual for dates of service or admittance on or after February 4, 2020, may be eligible for claims reimbursement through the program as long as the service(s) provided meet the coverage and billing requirements established as part of the program.

No. HHS considers such individuals, when they receive services through an I/T/U, to be enrolled in a federal health care program, as that term is defined in Social Security Act § 1128B(f). That is, they are not considered Uninsured Individuals for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Relief Fund (i.e., the Testing Distribution) because the FFCRA defines who is uninsured, and the statute excludes individuals who are enrolled in a federal health care program, as that term is defined in Social Security Act § 1128B(f). Individuals who are I/T/U beneficiaries are also not considered Uninsured Individuals for the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund (i.e., the Treatment Distribution, vaccine administration). However, the FFCRA appropriated a separate fund to cover, without the imposition of any cost-sharing requirements, the cost of providing COVID-19 Testing and Testing-Related Items and Services for individuals who are I/T/U beneficiaries. In addition, I/T/Us may submit claims for reimbursement for testing and/or treatment they provide to non-I/T/U beneficiaries who otherwise meet the definition of “uninsured individuals” in the Terms and Conditions for the Testing (PDF) and Treatment (PDF) of the Uninsured claims reimbursements.

For dates of service or admittance on or after February 4, 2020, reimbursement will be made for qualifying testing for COVID-19, treatment services with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis or for qualifying COVID-19 vaccine administration, as determined by HRSA (subject to adjustment as may be necessary), including the following:

• Specimen collection, diagnostic and antibody testing.
• Testing-related visits including in the following settings: office, urgent care or emergency room or telehealth.
• Treatment, including office visit (including telehealth),emergency room, inpatient, outpatient/observation, skilled nursing facility, long-term acute care (LTAC),acute inpatient rehab, home health, DME (e.g., oxygen, ventilator), emergency ambulance transportation, non-emergent patient transfers via ambulance, and FDA-licensed, authorized, or approved treatments as they become available for COVID-19 treatment.
• Administration fees related to FDA-licensed or authorized vaccine, when available..

Claims will be subject to Medicare timely filing requirements.

For more details, see billing codes information.

Services not covered by traditional Medicare will also not be covered under this program. In addition, the following services are excluded:

• Any treatment without a COVID-19 primary diagnosis, except for pregnancy when the COVID-19 code may be listed as secondary.
• Hospice services.
• Outpatient prescription drugs.

All claims submitted must be complete and final.

Reimbursement pricing and policies under this program for eligible services, as determined by HRSA (subject to adjustment as may be necessary), are described below.

• Reimbursement will be based on current year Medicare fee schedule rates except where otherwise noted.
• Publication of new codes and updates to existing codes will be made in accordance with published CMS guidance.
• For any new codes where a CMS published rate does not exist, claims will be held until CMS publishes corresponding reimbursement information.
• Claims submitted electronically for professional services will be priced as follows:
  • Services will price with current year CMS pricing with geographic adjustments, as applicable.
  • If no geographic adjustments are applicable, services will price with current year CMS national pricing.
  • COVID-19 testing and specimen collection procedures will price in accordance with rates published in the CARES Act (PDF) and CMS interim final rules .
• Claims submitted electronically for facility services will generally price according to traditional Medicare reimbursement, examples of exceptions are noted below:
  • For purposes of this program, facility reimbursement based on IPPS will not include the 20% increase to the DRG weight for COVID-19 diagnoses U07.1 and B97.29 authorized by Section 3710 of the Cares Act.
  • For purposes of this program, reimbursement rates for facilities not paid on IPPS [Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Children’s Hospitals, and PPS Exempt Cancer Hospitals] will not be updated after February 4, 2020.
  • Home health services will be priced based on a per-visit methodology by service type as established by the program:
    • All Medicare-eligible service categories: PT/OT/ST - $90
    • Nursing services – skilled nursing - $90
    • Nursing services – licensed practical nurse - $60
    • Medical social services - $90
    • Home health aide - $30
    • Home infusion therapy – PICC/midline supplies $70, PICC/midline placement $110
• For purposes of this program, the following rates will apply for reimbursement of ambulance claims with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19:
  • Ground ambulance: facility price of $350 per claim; professional claims price at current year CMS pricing with geographic adjustments as applicable
  • Water ambulance: facility price of $350 per claim; professional claims price at current year CMS pricing with geographic adjustments as applicable
  • Air ambulance: facility price of $2,300 per claim; professional claims price at current year CMS pricing with geographic adjustments as applicable
• The HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program will determine the rate for the COVID-19 vaccine administration fee once a FDA-licensed or authorized vaccine is available.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, claims for diagnostic testing will be eligible for reimbursement if one of the following diagnoses codes is included in any position on the claim:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)

Claims for diagnostic testing-related visits will be eligible for reimbursement if the place of service is an office visit, telehealth visit, urgent care or emergency room AND one of the following diagnoses codes is included in any position on the claim:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)

While U0001, U0002, U0003, U0004, G2023, G2024 and 87635 are COVID-19 specific procedure codes, one of the Z codes above will need to be included on the claim from hospitals and physicians in order to be eligible for reimbursement for testing as part of the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program.

For independent labs, single line item claims for the following procedure codes with any diagnosis will also be eligible for reimbursement:

• COVID-19 tests: U0001, U0002, U0003, U0004, 87635, 87426
• Antibody tests: 86318, 86328, 86769
• Specimen collection: G2023, G2024

Claim reimbursement eligibility for diagnostic testing services performed by independent labs is different than claim reimbursement eligibility for such services performed by hospitals (including hospital labs) or physicians. This is because independent labs do not always know the reason for testing when ordered by another provider and they are dependent on the diagnosis information indicated by the provider. Therefore, HRSA will reimburse for specific COVID-19 diagnostic testing services (individual procedure codes) for any diagnosis only when performed by independent labs.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, the COVID-19 testing will be eligible for reimbursement if one of the following diagnoses codes is included in any position on the claim:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)

Related treatment visits and services would not be eligible for reimbursement since the primary reason for treatment is not COVID-19.

The testing-related visit (the admission) would not be eligible for reimbursement because the care setting is not an office visit, telehealth visit, urgent care or emergency room and is not separately billable with applicable CPT/HCPCS codes on the inpatient claim. Unless COVID-19 is the primary diagnosis for the admission, no portion of this claim would be eligible for reimbursement under the program since the primary reason for treatment is not COVID-19.

Independent labs do not always know the reason for testing when ordered by another provider and they are dependent on the diagnosis information indicated by the provider. Therefore, HRSA will reimburse for specific COVID-19 diagnostic testing services (individual procedure codes) for any diagnosis only when performed by independent labs.

The test and visit would be eligible for reimbursement if it meets the criteria defined by the program.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, claims for diagnostic testing will be eligible for reimbursement if one of the following diagnoses codes is included in any position on the claim:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)

Claims for diagnostic testing-related visits will be eligible for reimbursement if the place of service is an office visit, telehealth visit, urgent care or emergency room AND one of the following diagnoses codes is included in any position on the claim:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)

While U0001, U0002, U0003, U0004, G2023, G2024 and 87635 are COVID-19 specific procedure codes, one of the Z codes above will need to be included on the claim from hospitals and physicians in order to be eligible for reimbursement for testing as part of the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program.

Yes. For diagnostic testing and testing-related services, claims submitted for testing-related visits rendered in an office, urgent care or emergency room or via telehealth are eligible for reimbursement if they include one of the following diagnosis codes:

• Z03.818 - Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out (possible exposure to COVID-19)
• Z20.828 - Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable (confirmed exposure to COVID-19)
• Z11.59 - Encounter for screening for other viral diseases (asymptomatic)

No. Since the primary reason for treatment was for cancer and not COVID-19, the cancer treatment would not be eligible for reimbursement.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, eligible treatment claims are determined as follows:

• Treatment for services or discharges prior to April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is B97.29 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is B97.29.
• Treatment for services or discharges on or after April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is U07.1 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is U07.1.

The ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines – Supplement for Coding encounters related to COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak do not apply to the HRSA Uninsured COVID 19 Program. For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, eligible treatment claims are determined as follows:

• Treatment for services or discharges prior to April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is B97.29 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is B97.29.
• Treatment for services or discharges on or after April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is U07.1 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is U07.1.

HRSA is not providing coding guidance to providers. The program guidance is intended to define what services are eligible for reimbursement under the program.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, the criteria for treatment to be eligible for reimbursement is as follows:

• Treatment for services or discharges prior to April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is B97.29 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is B97.29.
• Treatment for services or discharges on or after April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is U07.1 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is U07.1.

To address the usage of B97.29 as a primary diagnosis, we refer providers to recent guidance released by CMS: (see CR 11764 at: cms.gov/files/document/mm11764.pdf). This guidance explicitly allows for B97.29 to be included in any position on the claim.

The goal of the program is to provide consistent eligibility for reimbursement of COVID-19 treatment before and after April 1, 2020, when the U07.1 diagnosis code became effective. Prior to the effective date of the U07.1 code we are relying on the B97.29 code to identify claims where COVID-19 is the primary reason for treatment.

HRSA is not providing coding guidance to providers. The program guidance is intended to define what services are eligible for reimbursement under the program.

For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, eligible treatment claims are determined as follows:

• Treatment for services or discharges prior to April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is B97.29 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is B97.29.
• Treatment for services or discharges on or after April 1, 2020, will be eligible for reimbursement if the primary diagnosis is U07.1 OR if the primary diagnosis is pregnancy O98.5- and the secondary diagnosis is U07.1.

Yes, a provider can submit claims for testing furnished to an uninsured individual that is performed by a laboratory with which the provider has a client bill arrangement. In these cases, if a provider receives a reimbursement payment, the provider would be responsible for paying the lab as they normally do under these arrangements. Per the terms and conditions, the provider may not balance bill the uninsured individual.

Multiple individuals in an organization can have an Optum ID, but only one person per TIN can serve as the administrator. If the portal indicates that the TIN you entered already has an administrator and you cannot identify that individual, please call 866-569-3522. We will work with your organization to identify the correct TIN administrator and reassign this role after appropriate security requirements are met.

COVID19 HRSA Uninsured Testing and Treatment Fund
UnitedHealth Group
Attention: CARES Act Provider Relief Fund
PO Box 31376, Salt Lake City, UT 84131-0376

See our 837 Companion Guide (PDF) for more details.

Yes, for the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, claims must be submitted within 365 calendar days from date of service or admittance, and are subject to available funding.

Payments received from the program are claims reimbursements and should be treated in the same manner as reimbursements received from commercial insurance, Medicaid, and/or Medicare, including in how revenue or losses are determined. See below link to guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on how providers should report claims reimbursed through the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program on the S-10 worksheet.
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/03092020-covid-19-faqs-508.pdf

Eligible providers began enrolling in the program on April 27, 2020 and submitting claims on May 6, 2020. The majority of claims are reimbursed within 30 days.

No. All claims submissions and claims reimbursements must be submitted and remitted electronically.

No. These are claims reimbursements, not loans, to health care providers, and will not need to be repaid, provided applicable terms and conditions are met and except when it is later determined that the payments were to ineligible providers or for ineligible beneficiaries or costs.

Yes. The program reimburses providers for COVID-19 testing, treatment, or vaccine administration fees for uninsured individuals; therefore, any money collected from the individual must be returned to the individual if the provider received funding for that patient through this program.

This requirement is included in the Terms and Conditions that the provider signs in order to enroll in the program.

No. The terms and conditions for receipt of claims reimbursement payments from the COVID-19 Uninsured Program require the recipient to certify that it will not use the payment to reimburse expenses or losses that have been reimbursed from other sources. If another source, including a hospital charity program, has already reimbursed the provider for the cost of the treatment, then the provider cannot submit a claim for reimbursement to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program. However, if the hospital charity program covered some, but not all, of the cost of an uninsured individual’s treatment for COVID-19, then a provider may submit a claim for reimbursement for the cost of the treatment that was not covered by the hospital charity program.

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients are prohibited from submitting claims for reimbursement for services provided to RWHAP clients to the COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program.

The FY 2020 CARES Act funding provided to Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) recipients through RWHAP Part A should be used for preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19, as needs evolve for clients of RWHAP recipients. The COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program, funded through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Paycheck Protection Program, and Health Care Enhancement Act, and the CARES Act, and distributed through HRSA, is not a state compensation program, an insurance policy, a federal or state health benefits program, or an entity that provides health services on a prepaid basis. As such, it does not trigger the payer of last resort provision codified in the RWHAP legislation. RWHAP providers should use their COVID-19 CARES Act funding specifically authorized for the RWHAP patient population, and are prohibited from accessing the Provider Relief Fund for these same services. For those RWHAP providers that provide services to a broad range of patients, claims may be submitted for services provided to non-RWHAP eligible clients.

No. For the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, facility reimbursement based on IPPS will not include the 20% increase to the DRG weight for COVID-19 diagnoses U07.1 and B97.29 authorized by Section 3710 of the CARES Act.

For professional and institutional outpatient – Temporary member ID will be valid for 90 days from date of service. Eligible claims can be submitted using the temporary member ID with date of service within the validity period. For example, if Patient A had a date of service of February 4, 2020, then the temporary ID assigned to her will be valid from February 4, 2020, through May 3, 2020.

For institutional inpatient – Temporary member ID will be valid from date of admission and expire 90 days from date of discharge. Eligible claims can be submitted using the temporary member ID with date of admission and date of discharge within the validity period. For example, if Patient B had a date of admission of February 4, 2020, and date of discharge of February 20, 2020, then the temporary member ID assigned to him will be valid from February 4, 2020, through May 19, 2020.Note: If an uninsured individual was treated in the ER before being admitted as an inpatient, use the date of admittance to the ER as the inpatient admittance date.

Claims can still be submitted after the date of validity, but the temporary member ID must be eligible for the date of service or admittance.

You will be able to download an 835 file, as well as download the Electronic Provider Remittance Advice (PDF version of the 835 file) for the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, by accessing Optum Pay™ with your Optum ID. On the Optum Pay website you can access your remittance information on the View Payments tab. You can find that tab by following this path:

• Log in to Optum Pay .
• Select the Tax Identification Number (TIN) associated with the claims you are looking to reconcile.
• Select View Payments.

You will need to be able to access the 835 file in order to upload it into your practice management system. This will allow you to reconcile your claims as you would if you had received the 835 file via your clearinghouse. Please allow for appropriate processing time. As part of the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, the 835 file will not be electronically routed to you from your clearinghouse.

Beginning, January 1, 2021, Medicare will reimburse independent laboratories $75 per COVID-19 PCR testing claim (HCPCS codes U0003 and U0004) with a potential add-on reimbursement of $25 (HCPCS code U0005) if the laboratory returned COVID-19 PCR testing results to patients within 48 hours and returned results for a majority of its non-COVID-19 PCR tests (Medicare and non-Medicare) during the previous calendar month within two days. The HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program plans to continue to reimburse independent laboratories at a rate of $100 for COVID-19 PCR testing claims with HCPCS codes U0003 and U0004 and will not implement the add-on reimbursement for HCPCS U0005 on January 1, 2021.