CARES Act Funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
Executive Summary:
As part of the CARES Act, $90 million in additional funding has been set aside for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHA) and its grantees. This funding is meant to help existing Ryan White programs prepare for, prevent, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most grantees will automatically receive their funding and be expected to submit budgets and program narratives within 30 days of receipt. Additionally, the funding can be used to reimburse COVID-19 related spending dated back to January 20, 2020.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
COVID-19 funds will be disbursed automatically to qualifying (and existing) RWHA grantees, so there is no need to apply for them. Budgets will be collected by HHS after the funds are disbursed.
COVID-19 funding must be used within a year after it is disbursed.
Administrative expenses are still required to remain at or under 10% of awarded funds
The RWHA core requirement to spend 75% of funding on medical services has been removed for COVID-19 funding to give grantees more flexibility in their responses to the pandemic.
IN-DEPTH:
On April 15, 2020, HHS awarded $90 million for Ryan White HIV/AIDS (RWHA)Program recipients across the country to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This one-time funding is provided by the CARES Act, which was signed into law on Friday, March 27, 2020.
The funding is directed to clinics and community-based organizations, city/county health departments, state health departments, the AIDS Education and Training Centers, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Technical Assistance and Training Program for preventing, preparing for, and responding to COVID-19 for RWHAP clients, including expenses related to extended operating hours, increased staffing hours (overtime), additional equipment, workforce training, and capacity development, and services to support social distancing, such as home-delivered meals and transportation. All activities and purchases supported with RWHAP COVID-19 awards must be used for services, activities, and supplies needed to prevent or minimize the impact of COVID-19 on RWHAP clients.
Because the funding will automatically be disbursed to current RWHA recipients, there is no application process. However, HHS will be requiring budget plans and narratives for how the funds will be used within 30 days of receipt.
ACTIONS TO TAKE NOW:
Start to prepare a budget and a narrative for COVID-19 funds if you have received them. This will be due within 30 days of receipt of the funds.
IMPORTANT LINKS: