Phase 4 COVID-19 Provider Relief Funds payments, previously expected to begin in mid-November, will be dispersed beginning sometime in December and continuing through January, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s updated award timeline.

“HRSA will send individual communications to providers when final payment decisions are made and is not able to respond to requests for updates on application status at this time,” the American Health Care Association / American Health Care Association noted in a Friday blog post.

The funding, announced in September, includes $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for providers who serve rural Medicaid, Medicare or Children’s Health Insurance Program beneficiaries, with an additional $17 billion for providers who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.

Last week, AHCA / NCAL said, providers, including those who have submitted Reporting Period 1 reports, received emails indicating that they would not receive Phase 4 awards if their reports were not submitted by Nov. 30, AHCA / NCAL said. “Nov. 30 is the end of the 60-day reporting grace period,” the association wrote.