On Dec. 9, 2020, an online portal–the DHS CARES Act Funding Tracking Tool–will launch for OCDEL providers to submit final costs of Act 24 of 2020 funding. The due date for submission of the required Final Report was extended to Dec. 31, 2020. DHS is requesting providers complete the COVID-19 Act 24 Cost Reporting Form in the web-based portal. Providers should keep all documentations related to the costs reported in the final cost report for a minimum of five (5) years.
To support you in using the online portal, we wanted to provide the following guidance:
- Username and Password Credentials:
- Beginning tomorrow, you will receive two emails (see sample) from PW, Unified Security inbox (ra-unifiedsecurity@pa.gov). The first email contains your username. The second email contains your temporary password for first-time sign in.
- If you have an existing Commonwealth Business Partner account (“b-” ID), you will receive a Username reminder email tomorrow. Please use this username to login to the tool. If you have not received these username and password credential emails by Dec. 10, please contact ra-unifiedsecurity@pa.gov.
- Updating Provider Contact: If you will not be completing the final report for your organization and would like to change the user associated, please complete the DHS COVID Tracking – User Change Request form and we will work to update that information and set up their credentials. Note that this process may take a few business days. Please take the time now to validate the right individual(s) in your organization have access to the portal. Even if you aren’t ready to submit your Act 24 final report yet, please test your login credentials in the tool.
- Attestation: When completing the report for your entity, attestation is required. The attestation language is as follows: I, [ENTER NAME OF PERSON WITH THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN ON BEHALF OF THE LEGAL ENTITY BELOW], certify, subject to the terms and penalties of 18 Pa. C.S. §4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities) that the information contained in the forgoing Act 24 Cost Reporting Form are true and correct to the best of my knowledge following reasonable investigation, that the entity that I represent was in operation as of March 31, 2020, as required by Act 24 of 2020; and that the Act 24 of 2020 funds were used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic, and reimburse healthcare-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to the coronavirus pandemic; and, that the Act 24 of 2020 funds were not used for expenses or losses that have been or will be reimbursed from other sources.
- Online Portal Training & Support: You will receive a detailed DHS CARES Act Funding Tracking Tool Final Report User Guide with FAQs on the launch date to support you in understanding how to use the new tool, answer any questions you may have, and provide troubleshooting information on browsers and passwords.
- Act 24 of 2020 information:
- Governor Wolf signed Act 24 of 2020, which allocates funding from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – also known as the CARES Act – to assist providers with COVID-19 related costs. Funding from Act 24 must be used to cover necessary COVID-19 related costs incurred between March 1, 2020 and Nov. 30, 2020 that have not been otherwise reimbursed by Federal, State or other source of funding. To qualify for the one-time payment, a person or entity must have been in operation as of March 31, 2020. Under Act 24, $116 million of COVID-19 relief funds were allocated to providers OCDEL programs.
- Any person or entity accepting a COVID-19 payment must provide documentation to the Department of Human Services (DHS), upon request, for purposes of determining compliance with Act 24 requirements. Providers were previously advised to keep documentation to demonstrate how the funds were used for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in case of an audit.
- Providers are advised to review guidance for eligible COVID-19 costs on the U.S. Department of Treasury website: Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Guidance and Coronavirus-Relief-Fund-Frequently-Asked-Questions and DHS guidance DHS Frequently Asked Questions.
Please note, if you received a payment under Act 24 of 2020 from more than one Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Program Office, you may receive this notification more than once. You will only receive one login to the online tool and be able to submit for all program offices and facilities.
Thank you for all your efforts.