Situation Report | September 8, 2020
CMS Guidance Issued on Provider Relief Fund and Paycheck Protection Program Payments
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released an additional list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to Medicare providers regarding the Paycheck Protection Program payments.
The FAQs provide guidance on how to report provider relief fund payments, uninsured charges reimbursed through the Uninsured Program, and Small Business Administration (SBA) loan forgiveness amounts. The FAQs also emphasize that provider relief fund payments should not offset expenses on the Medicare Cost Report.
The application deadline for provider relief funding has now been extended to September 13.
DOL Tracking Requirements for Remote Work
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has clarified an employer’s obligation to track the number of hours of compensable work by employees who are teleworking or otherwise working away from premises controlled by their employers.
It applies to new telework or remote work arrangements that arose in response to COVID-19 as well as any other telework or remote work arrangements that may have existed irrespective of COVID-19.
The guidance reaffirms that an employer must pay its employees for all hours worked, including work not requested but allowed and work performed at home. If the employer knows or has reason to believe that work is being performed, the time must be counted as hours worked.
DOL provides additional compliance assistance resources on common issues affecting wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and paid sick and expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act at www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic.
Insurance Fund Workers’ Comp Credit for PPE Purchases
Businesses that use the New York State Insurance Fund for Workers’ Compensation benefits can receive up to a $500 credit on their annual premiums for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) for their employees.
More information is at https://ww3.nysif.com/ppecredit/index.