Returning Funds

Who must return funds?

Recipients of Provider Relief Fund (PRF), American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural, Uninsured Program (UIP), and Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF) payments, under several circumstances, are required to return funds to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Providers at risk of being referred to debt collection for not returning funds include:

• Providers who rejected the Terms and Conditions in the PRF Application and Attestation Portal and did not subsequently return PRF funds 
• Providers who failed to submit a required report during a specific reporting period must return all funds that were not reported on during a specific reporting period or the subsequent Request to Report Late Due to Extenuating Circumstances process
• Providers deemed required to repay funds as a result of audit or assessment findings 
• Providers deemed ineligible, or noncompliant, or otherwise owing funds as a result of post-payment oversight, by indictment, or other information not revealed through audit 

Timeframe to return

Funds must be returned within:

1. Rejecting payments - 15 calendar days of rejecting a PRF or ARP Rural payment in the Application and Attestation Portal
2. Unreported PRF or ARP Rural funds - 30 calendar days after the end of the applicable Reporting Time Period or applicable grace period
3. Notification of non-compliance or ineligibility - 30 calendar days of the date of a communication
4. Management Decision Letter - 60 calendar days of the date of the Management Decision Letter
5. Final Repayment Notice - 60 calendar days of the date of the Final Repayment Notice

For other return types, please refer to the notification(s) you received for deadlines and instructions.

How to return funds

Returning partial or total PRF Rural payments is a two-part process:

1. Complete an online form via the Repayment Portal
2. Once completed, you will automatically be redirected to Pay.gov.
3. Transfer the funds via Pay.gov or via check. Refer to the instructions for returning unused funds (PDF - 989 KB).

Correspondence relating to the return of PRF and ARP Rural funds must include the 15-digit ACH tracing numbers for every payment received by the provider. These ACH tracing numbers are required for the ACH return option, and they may also be helpful to include for tracking purposes if PRF or ARP Rural funds are returned by check.

Returning UIP payments

1. Providers should submit UIP repayments via check. 
2. Complete the Unsolicited Overpayment Refund/Notification Form (PDF - 213 KB) and submit it with the check to ensure that funds are applied properly.
3. Mail it to the address on the form.

Returning CAF payments

1. Complete an online form via the Repayment Portal. 
2. Once completed, you will automatically be redirected to Pay.gov.
3. Click on instructions on how to complete the Repayment Form (PDF - 126 KB) for guidance.

Returning payments for Final Repayment Notices, Management Decision Letters, and findings of ineligibility or non-compliance

Providers should refer to instructions contained in any notification letters/emails or decision letters they receive.

Returning interest earned

If payments were held in an interest-bearing account, the provider must return the accrued interest associated with the amount being returned to HRSA. If the funds were not held in an interest-bearing account, there is no obligation for the provider to return any additional amount other than the payment being returned to HRSA.

Steps for returning accrued interest

To return accrued interest, visit Pay.gov. On the webpage, locate “Find an agency,” and select “Health and Human Services (HHS) Program Support Center HQ.” Verify that the description is “PSC HQ Payment” and form number is “HHSHQ,” then click “Continue.” You will then need to complete the following steps:

1. Step 1. Preview the form, then click “Continue.”
2. Step 2. Indicate whether you are completing on behalf of an individual or business and enter the following information:
   1. Business Name Field: Legal name of organization that received the payment
   2. Invoice or Ticket Number Field: “HHS-COVID-Interest”
   3. Contract/Agreement Number Field: Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of organization or provider that received the payment
   4. Point of contact: Business contact information
   5. Payment Amount: (The payment amount must match the interest earned on the payment received.)
3. Step 3. Verify the interest return payment amount and select to pay by ACH or debit/credit card, then select “Continue.”
4. Step 4. Enter the required information to complete the payment, then select “Review and Submit.”
5. Step 5. Ensure that all information is correct and select “Submit.”

Bankruptcy

If you have filed a bankruptcy petition or are involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, federal financial obligations will be resolved in accordance with the applicable bankruptcy process, the Bankruptcy Code, and applicable non-bankruptcy federal law. Accordingly, we request that you immediately notify HRSA about your bankruptcy petition or involvement in a bankruptcy proceeding so that we may take the appropriate steps. When notifying HRSA about a bankruptcy, please include the name that the bankruptcy is filed under, the docket number, and the district where the bankruptcy is filed. You may submit this information to PRFbankruptcy@hrsa.gov.