Pennsylvania wants 189 agencies to return millions in COVID-19 aid
The companies failed to file reports on how they spent aid they recieved under the federal CARES Act.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services wants the state’s attorney general to recoup $7.3 million from 189 home-health and other long-term care companies that received federal COVID-19 aid but failed to report on how it was spent.
The largest payment in question — $1.23 million — went to Friends Senior Care Center Inc., an adult day care center at 905 Arch St. in Philadelphia, according to the human services department. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The next two largest recipients that failed to report their spending were New Life Home Health Care Agency Inc., in Huntingdon Valley, and Immaculate Home Healthcare Agency, in Levittown. New Life received $307,369 in aid. Immaculate received $202,222.
Officials at those two companies either hung up on a reporter or did not respond to a request for comment.
The money sought by the human services department is part of the $457 million funneled to the state’s nursing homes, personal care facilities, home care agencies, and other providers of community-based services three years ago to help them survive the first onslaught of COVID.
The companies were supposed to use the money, which came through the CARES Act, between March and the end of November of 2022 for staff, training, COVID testing, personal protective equipment, or other supplies. The companies’ reports on how they spent the money were due Dec. 21, 2020.
SEIU Healthcare PA and United Home Care Workers of PA published a report on April 4 that was critical of home care companies that had not reported how they spent millions in CARES Act grants. The report said 469 agencies had failed to file the required reports, based on data from June 2021.
The two unions represent many home care and other health care workers. They say many companies did not boost wages for workers even as they were collecting millions in aid.
The human services department provided The Inquirer with an up updated list of the agencies that had not met reporting requirements on April 12.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General said last week that officials there had discussed the collection effort with the human services department, but had not yet received specific referrals for action.