About 25 percent of the provider relief funds remain unused, and HHS should reveal plans on how and when it will allocate the unspent funds, the Government Accountability Office said in a July 19 report.
As of May 31, $43.7 billion of $178 billion in the provider relief fund is unused. In addition, the American Rescue Plan appropriated an additional $8.5 billion for rural providers, but those funds remain unobligated as well, the GAO said.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, an HHS agency, also hasn't provided a time frame for distributing the remaining funds.
The GAO is recommending that HHS communicate information about the use of COVID-19 relief funds, including a projected time frame.
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