Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To learn more about the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, please visit: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/cares-act-provider-relief-fund/faqs/index.html

Public Partnerships | PPL applied for and was approved to receive $52 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to distribute to care/support workers (providers) of self-directing participants across all 43 programs we serve.

These funds will be used to reimburse approximately 165,000 providers served by PPL with respect to healthcare-related expenses, specifically personal protective equipment (PPE) costs attributable to COVID-19.  Funds will be distributed to both currently active providers and those that worked in any month between the period March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

No, PPL will not be paid for the administrative effort of distributing these funds.

We are donating internal resources to this project because we understand the intense financial pressure experienced by providers nationwide during this pandemic and the need for these funds by providers and their families.

Other smaller FMS providers are believed to also have secured these federal relief funds. However, to our knowledge, we are the only FMS that will be allocating the funds directly to the providers and at this scale – approximately $52M to 165,000 providers. 

To put the size and scale of this award and distribution in context, the entire federal relief fund is approximately $175 billion, and PPL is in the top 5% of monies awarded. 

This award and effort represent the largest relief and support effort of any FMS serving self-directed home care.

All unused funds will be returned to the federal government.

PPE = Personal Protective Equipment.

For providers of care/support for self-directing participants, PPE includes items such as disposable face masks, face visors, disposable latex gloves and hand sanitizing goods.

No.

The relief funds a provider receives are reimbursement funds for past PPE spending over the period of March 2020 through January 2021. When the reimbursement funds are received, they may be spent on PPE or non-PPE products or services. Certain federal restrictions apply.

To be eligible to receive funds, a provider must:

Be employed as a provider by one or more self-directing participants for a PPL-serviced, self-direction program that has been invited to apply for funds.

These criteria can be found listed at the top of the publicparternships.com/providerrelief page

Following an initial two-week PPL communication and notice period, providers will have until June 15, 2021 to fill out the legal attestation form for their program on publicpartnerships.com.

PPL will reach out to providers with a series of email communications and website/portal notices. The message will invite providers to visit a trusted source (publicpartnerships.com) to review their eligibility and apply for these funds.

For those providers without an email address on file, we will mail a postcard to their home address. The postcard will contain a QR code that can be scanned and take providers directly to the relief fund page.

Providers will be able to complete an online attestation on the Public Partnerships | PPL website by providing identity validation and contact information. They will then be able to review the attestation document and digitally sign it.

PPL will send an automated email to the email address provided during the attestation process notifying you that the attestation was received by PPL.

PPL will process attestations at 8 am eastern time (EST) on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week. Once ADP has completed processing PPL’s submission, ADP will send an automated email that your card has been funded.

Your card will then be mailed and sent to the address provided in the attestation.

Providers must digitally sign an online attestation to receive the funds. This ensures providers legally certify and confirm their identity and that they accept the terms and conditions associated with this PPL provider relief distribution.

No, the attestation form will only be available online on the PPL website and cannot be mailed to provider(s).

During the legal attestation process, providers will be able to view the amount of funds they will receive prior to acceptance.

No, this program was designed to support only providers with respect to their healthcare-related expenses attributable to COVID-19, specifically PPE expenses.

Once our State or Managed Care clients approves the distribution of funds, we will actively reach out to eligible providers to invite them to apply.

This communication will come in multiple forms including website notices, emails and postcards to individuals without an email listed in PPL systems. Providers will have up until June 15, 2021 to submit their legal attestation. Attestations after June 15, 2021 cannot be accepted due to HHS rules regarding the return of unused funds.

Providers will receive a message during the application of funds that they have been successful.

Once an application for funds is received, we will process it, and approve or deny it based on our payroll records for the period between March 2020 and January 2021. A separate call center will be established for questions related to the distribution effort.

Providers are invited to call 877-522-1058 to contact our dedicated hotline for details and assistance between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday. Providers will also have the option of contacting a dedicated email address supporting this initiative, pplproviderrelief@pcgus.com.

Once an application for funds is received, we will process it and approve or deny it based on our payroll records for the period between March 2020 and January 2021. Providers will be reminded that in applying for these funds, they are signing a legal document.

The provider is eligible if they submitted and were paid for at least 4 days of service in any given month between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

The provider is eligible as long as they submitted and were paid for at least 4 days of service in any given month between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. A day of service equals a minimum of one hour worked.

Please contact us at pplproviderrelief@pcgus.com in order for PPL to review your individual circumstances, including providing legal evidence of your connection to the provider and/or reason for their current incapacity.

Please refer to this section on our main Provider Relief page for a visual representation of the information stated below.

Specifically, providers will receive funds based on the number of days per month they indicated on their timesheet that they provided care/support for ANY self-directed participant between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

For every month in which a provider had 15 or more “days worked” between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, the provider will receive $41 per month.

For every month in which a provider had 4-14 “days worked” between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, the provider will receive $20 per month.

For every month in which a provider had fewer than 4 “days worked” between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, the provider will not be eligible to receive funds.

For purposes of this calculation, a “day worked” is defined as a day in which the provider (1) submitted and was paid for a timesheet to PPL for at least one hour of work for one or more self-directed participants and (2) received payment from PPL for that work. In addition, a provider cannot combine “days worked” between or across months; each month is looked at individually.

The amount each provider will receive will vary depending on the number of days per month they worked between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. The average provider is expected to receive approximately $260. Some will receive more. Some will receive less.

Please refer to this section on our main Provider Relief page, or see the examples below.

Example 1:
Susan has been a provider for John, a PPL-supported, self-directing participant since 2018. Her average shift for John is 5-6 hours per day, 3 times per week. Susan has approved timesheets and was paid for every month between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.

• Susan submitted timesheets and was paid for 15 or more days per month between March 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021.
  
  
• Each day she worked more than an hour per day.
  
  
• Susan will receive $41 per month for 11 months = $451 to support her for healthcare-related expenses attributable to COVID-19.

Susan is also a provider for Helen, another PPL-supported, self-directing participant. Susan helps Helen with household shopping errands a few days a week and drives her to weekly therapy sessions.

• Through her work for John, Susan was already receiving the maximum award available and her total award remains $451.

Example 2:
Allana has been a provider for two PPL–supported, self-directing participants during the last 5 years. In April 2020 and May 2020, she missed work to care for her own elderly relative. She is now back to work, but still caring for her own relative and has reduced the time she is available to work.

• Allana submitted timesheets and was paid for 15 or more days per month (each day worked more than an hour per day) in March 2020 and in each month between June and October 2020 for both participants.
  
  
• Between November 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021, Allana submitted timesheets and was paid for between 4-14 days per month (each day worked more than one hour per day).
  
  
• Allana submitted no time in April and May 2020.

Allana will receive $306 to support her healthcare-related expenses attributable to COVID-19, based on:

• $41 per month for March, June, July, August, September and October 2020.
• $20 per month for November and December 2020 and January 2021.
• $0 per month for April and May 2020.

We understand the intense financial pressure experienced by providers nationwide during this pandemic and the need for these funds by these providers and their families.

We are now working aggressively to obtain approval from each of our State and Managed Care clients for our proposed disbursement plan. Assuming we are able to secure these approvals promptly, we expect some of our nearly 165,000 providers to start to receive funds by the end of March 2021. PPL will thereafter stagger the release of the approximately $52 milion in funds to all eligible providers throughout the first half of 2021, depending on the rate of client approvals.

Yes, the new relief funds are taxable.

However, these funds will be paid out in full without taxes withheld and the tax responsibility will fall on the provider. The payment is reportable on the provider’s W-2’s so the tax burden will be incurred at the end of the tax year in which the payment is made.

Wisely by ADP® Paycards will be mailed to eligible providers who attest to receive the funds.

For reference purposes only, not an actual payment card.

A debit card was deemed to be the most secure, easiest, fastest and most convenient option for the approximately 165,000 providers to receive funds.

No bank account is needed for accessing and spending the funds issued. Debit cards also avoid check cashing fees for providers.

No. This effort is separate from your regular payroll. You will receive a separate card exclusively containing these relief funds.

Please note that your existing Wisely card remains the method of payment for your ongoing care/support of a self-directing program participant.

Providers can use the card to purchase goods and services everywhere Visa® or Mastercard® debit cards are accepted and withdraw cash at all participating ATMs. Once their card is activated, they can view their card balance on the FREE myWisely by ADP® mobile app or online at myWisely.com.

Cards must be activated within 90 days of individuals cards being mailed by ADP. Any card not activated within this timeframe, ADP will mail a check to that provider/address.

Once activated, providers will have 18 months to start using the funds. If a provider’s Wisely by ADP® Paycard is about to expire, ADP will send a new card.

For more information visit: https://info.mywisely.com/category/wisely-pay-help/page/2/

PPL encourages you to use the funds on the Wisely card provided.

As per ADP, there are no overdraft fees because ADP will not allow you to overdraw your card.

There are no minimum balance fees. There are no monthly fees or annual fees. 

There are, however, inactivity fees of $4.00 assessed on a monthly basis after 90 days of inactivity. Keep in mind there are also charges for using certain features on your Wisely Pay Card. Please log in to your Wisely account and refer to the Wisely Pay list of all fees for applicable usage fees.

For more information, please view the Wisely by ADP® Paycard FAQs.

After the card is activated, you can set yourself up for mobile or online services where you can manage your account and update your address, if needed. For address updates the card must have been active for at least 30 days.

Please call the ADP customer service line and you’ll be required to send in documents to support the address change such as utility bill and ID.

Providers are encouraged to report a lost, stolen or damaged card to ADP immediately by calling 1-866-313-6901.

For more information, visit: https://info.mywisely.com/category/wisely-pay-help/page/2.

No, PPL will not be able to track purchase activity of providers utilizing the Wisely by ADP® Paycards.

No, once the funds are sent to the providers, those funds belong to the provider.

ADP operates websites, mobile apps and call centers to support providers with their questions associated with their cards.

For more information, visit: https://info.mywisely.com/category/wisely-pay-help/page/2/.

Yes, P.O. boxes are allowed as a mailing address, as long as a primary physical legal address is entered as part of the attestation information collection step.