Dear AAP members:
Last night, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched an online portal for pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgeons to apply for financial relief from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund.
This has been a major focus of the Academy's advocacy since the pandemic began. Pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgeons can now apply for approximately $15 billion of total funding available to physicians who see patients on Medicaid and CHIP.
Thank you for the questions you've submitted through covid-19@aap.org about aspects of this new release. To help you navigate this process, learn whether you're eligible, how to apply and more, AAP created this FAQ page. We are learning more in real time from HHS, and we will share updates with you as quickly as we can.
These funds are NOT first come, first served, so you don't need to apply right away, but it's best to start preparing now to make sure you can take advantage of the opportunity.
Our advocacy work to ensure adequate financial relief for pediatricians continues. We are working with HHS to resolve any technical or unintentional challenges facing pediatricians applying for these funds. At the same time, we will continue strong advocacy to ensure our members are not needlessly excluded, including those who do not take any Medicaid or CHIP and those who received any payments from the prior rounds of Medicare funding, no matter how small.
As you apply, please stay in touch with us through covid-19@aap.org and share any questions or concerns you encounter. We plan to engage with HHS to improve the application experience and resolve policy issues. Please keep checking back as we will update the AAP's FAQ page regularly with new information.
Thank you for your perseverance and innovative approaches to delivering care. Your determination to continue serving your patients despite unprecedented hardship and uncertainty is inspiring. Rest assured that the Academy will do all we can to enable you to keep your doors open and your patients cared for throughout the pandemic and beyond.
Sincerely,
Mark Del Monte, JD
Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President
