The American Medical Association and more than 30 other medical groups want the Health Resources and Services Administration to give providers more time to report the Provider Relief Fund dollars they receive before the government gets their money back.

Providers who received more than $10,000 in COVID-19 relief funds from HRSA between April 10, 2020 and June 30, 2020 must report by November 30, 2021 how they spent the funds. HRSA allocated over $42 billion in the first phase.

In early March, HRSA notified suppliers who missed the deadline that they must repay the benefits within 30 days.According to a March 10 report, if funds are not returned, HRSA will initiate the recovery of all funds not reported during this period letter Obtained by modern medicine.

These providers need more time to comply, and many are unaware of the reporting deadline, the AMA and other groups wrote Thursday to HRSA administrator Carol Johnson. “Because of our strong links with our members, we want to work with HRSA to find the best way to identify and implement the remaining practices that have not been reported to bring them into compliance,” the letter said.

HRSA will not confirm how many notices it sent or how many funds were not reported for fpr issue 1. The agency said it frequently conducts outreach with providers and provider associations about the provider relief fund reporting process, including about the risk that funds will be recovered if they are recovered. Not used or properly reported.

Providers have been given a 60-day grace period after the September 30 reporting deadline for the first tranche of funds. HRSA also opened its reporting portal for another week in December.

But the Medical Association believes more time is needed. Some practices say they have not been contacted about reporting requirements. The letter said the medical office was understaffed because employees contracted COVID-19 or lost other jobs, including those who were supposed to report to HRSA.

Figuring out how to reimburse the government on short notice will present a huge challenge for providers, said Shari Erickson, chief advocacy officer and senior vice president of government affairs and public policy for the American College of Physicians.

“I think that’s a reasonable request. These practices have been through a lot throughout the pandemic trying to keep their doors open and provide access to care for their patient population, which they obviously want to continue to do,” Eric said. Sen said.

The American College of Physicians expects HRSA to use a variety of communication methods to inform future practices regarding Provider Relief Fund reporting, including telephone, mail, and fax.

Providers can also be confused about who needs to report, said Claire Ernst, director of government affairs at the Medical Group Management Association.This original terms Says that any recipient over $150,000 must document how they spend the money.Later documentissued before the end of the reporting period, indicating that providers earning at least $10,000 must report.

According to the letter from the medical group, noncompliance notices appear to have been sent primarily to smaller rural clinics, which do not include any organizations representing hospitals or other types of health care providers.

Suppliers can get bogged down with huge sums of money. Ernst said a medical group management association member may have to refund $200,000.

Overall, PRF reporting requirements are too onerous and take up patient care time during the pandemic, said Julie Hirschhorn, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Supplier said Confusion over reporting requirements Before the initial deadline, including incremental costs related to COVID-19 and availability of funds to cover telehealth costs.

But the supplier association said it should be a one-time issue. Funding for Phase 1 goes directly to Medicare-enrolled providers, while subsequent rounds require an application. The reporting deadline for Phase 2 is March 31.

According to HRSA, Congress allocated $178 billion for provider relief funds, all of which have been spent or set aside for distribution.The American Hospital Association has asked Congress An additional $25 billion in pandemic relief.