HRSA Signed Memo to OIRA

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services
Administration
Rockville, MD 20857

TO:

Paul Ray, Administrator
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

FROM:

Thomas J. Engels, Administrator

DATE:

September 29, 2020

SUBJECT: Expedited Review- Reporting Data Elements for Rural Health Clinic COVID-19
Testing Program recipients
ISSUE
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting an expedited review of
the Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing Report (RHC CTR). This new data report was
developed by the HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) to support a
requirement to monitor and report on funds distributed under the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Paycheck
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Upon receipt of funds, recipients
attested to Terms & Conditions which among other obligations required each recipient submit
reports to the Department of Health and Human Services.
BACKGROUND
The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act appropriated $225 million
for HRSA to provide RHCs with additional funding for COVID-19 testing and related expenses.
On May 20, 2020, HRSA issued funding as one-time payments to 2,406 RHC organizations
based on the number of certified clinic sites they operate, providing $49,461.42 per clinic site
(4,549 RHC clinic sites total across the country). The organizations were identified by Tax ID
number and an organization may operate one or more RHC sites which were identified by unique
CMS Certification Numbers (CCN). As the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care
Enhancement Act was signed into law on April 24, 2020 and no existing data collection system
currently captures the information contained in the proposed RHC CTR, HRSA needs to move
expeditiously to establish a mechanism to monitor the outcomes of this investment.
DISCUSSION
The RHC CTR will collect monthly, aggregate data from funded organizations. Funded
organizations will provide basic identifying information, report on the number of, and location
of, testing sites, indicate how they used the funds, and report the total number of patients tested
and the number of tests with a positive result. The RHC CTR will be housed on a dedicated
website supporting secure data storage, http://www.rhccovidreporting.com/.

Paul Ray, Administrator
Page 2
HRSA aims to open the RHC CTR for reporting on the first of each month (beginning on
November 1, 2020). Information provided via the RHC CTR will be compiled in a summary
report, to include the number of testing sites and tests performed.
Approval of the RHC CTR is urgent and time-sensitive to meet federal reporting requirements as
outlined in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act legislation.
Because of the urgent nature of the COVID-19 pandemic response, combined with the quick
disbursement of and the short-term duration of this funding (one time disbursement in May 2020
of 2-year funds), it is important for HRSA to obtain data as quickly as possible. The data will
allow HRSA to ensure RHC recipients are meeting the terms and conditions of their funding,
while providing HRSA with information on the effectiveness of funds distributed through this
program.
The RHC CTR will provide HRSA with frequent and timely data on the use of the Paycheck
Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act RHC funding by providing information
on the number COVID-19 tests conducted by RHCs. Thank you for consideration of this
expedited approval.

___________________________
Thomas J. Engels
Attachments:
PRA Emergency Clearance Package