DOH Updates Nursing Home VAPAP Page
(July 30, 2024) The Department of Health (DOH) has updated the webpage dedicated to the Nursing Home Vital Access Provider Assurance Program (VAPAP). The program offers nursing homes in severe financial distress the opportunity to apply for one-time, non-reoccurring, short-term financial assistance while they “plan for the implementation of longer-term solutions to achieve financial sustainability.” The program is funded at $25 million per year, down from $100 million annually in the prior two years. The updates include the posting of application submission dates and changes to eligibility criteria.
The deadlines to submit a Nursing Home VAPAP application for the 2025 fiscal year are Aug. 15th (for the first half of the year) and Dec. 15th (for the second half of the year). All nursing homes seeking financial assistance should submit a formal application through this process. DOH has updated the application eligibility criteria to the following: to apply, a facility must have less than 15 days of cash on hand AND have a negative operating margin in the last two calendar years AND have no outstanding payments due to DOH. In addition, the applicant, along with any related or affiliated entities, may not currently be the subject of known investigation or enforcement action by federal or state agencies and must have submitted the appropriate cost report.
Full information on the program, including application evaluation criteria and the complete application packet, is available here. The site notes that Nursing Home VAPAP is not intended for emergency situations or immediate payroll concerns. If a nursing home is not able to provide adequate care to a resident at any time during that resident's stay, the nursing home is required to contact their respective regional office of the Department of Health and must provide the necessary information to assist with any relocation needs, including but not limited to assistance with arranging transportation to an alternate facility that can provide the necessary care and services for the resident.
While members who have gone through the process describe a lengthy, often frustrating process with mixed outcomes, we do recommend that nursing homes in financial distress review the criteria and consider submitting an application that focuses on the listed evaluation criteria. Please contact us with questions and share your experiences with the program.
Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841