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Emergency Financial Assistance

Emergency Financial Assistance

HRSA Service Definition

Emergency Financial Assistance provides limited one-time or short-term payments to assist the RWHAP client with an emergent need for paying for essential utilities, housing, food (including groceries, and food vouchers), transportation, and medication. Emergency financial assistance can occur as a direct payment to an agency or through a voucher program.

Program Guidance:

Direct cash payments to clients are not permitted.

It is expected that all other sources of funding in the community for emergency financial assistance will be effectively used and that any allocation of RWHAP funds for these purposes will be as the payer of last resort, and for limited amounts, uses, and periods of time. Continuous provision of an allowable service to a client should not be funded through emergency financial assistance.

See also:

AIDS Drug Assistance Program Treatments

Local AIDS Pharmaceutical Assistance Program

Other corresponding categories

Number of Clients Served, Units Provided, Expenditures, Allocation, and Over/Under-spending

Year 2017* 2018 2019** 2020*** 2021*** 2022*** 2023
EFA Clients (voucher) 103 393
EFA Units (voucher) 103 887
EFA Dollars (voucher) 74,162 85,122
Allocated Dollars (voucher) $70,486 $69,415
Over/ Underspending (voucher) $3,676 over $15,707 over
EFA Clients (medication) 366 213
EFA Units (meds) 665 319
EFA (meds) Dollars $1,156,211 $598,150 $518,002
Allocated Dollars (meds) $1,102,934 $1,086,158 $765,979
Over/ Underspending (meds) $53,277 over $488,088 under $247,977 under
EFA clients (HSE) 237 248 416 476 554
EFA Units (HSE) 363 321 518 654 703
EFA (HSE) Dollars $385,585 $301,118 $501,109 $956,743 $1,132,623 $1,876,017
EFA (Housing) Allocation Dollars $385,663 $288,663 $780,120 $1,068,469 $1,084,807 $1,016,692
Over/ Underspending (housing) $78 over $12,455 over $279,011 under $112,000 under $47,816 over $859,325 over

*Approximately 2/3rds of the services previously funded under Local AIDS Pharmaceutical Assistance was funded under emergency financial assistance in 2016, in accordance with the guidance.

**Housing and Utilities were combined in the reporting submitted.

***All EFA Services are combined

Funding by Part, and info on any other payers

Total Part A Funds (Formula + Supp.) MAI Total Part B Funds (Formula + Supp. NJ) Total Part B Funds (Formula + Supp. PA) Total Part C EIS Funds (State & Local) Total Part D Funds (State & Local) Total Part F Funds
Last Year Allocation $73,586
$342,939
$600,167 $85,000 $488,331
Current Allocation $72,750
$399,042
$593,347

Consumer survey info 2017 n=392

n Used in the last 12 months Needed but did not get (last 12 months)
Emergency Financial Assistance 114 39.5% 60.5%

Community Survey 2022 Service Responses n=236

I never personally needed this service I needed this service and received it I needed but did not get this service I never heard of this service
EFA 31.78% 24.15% 9.75% 10.59%

Unmet need

For the purposes of this document, need is based on the response of a consumer when asked if there was a service they needed. MMP interviews patients in care and asks consumers if they need a service and if they receive it. Client services unit data identifies needs at the time of initial intake.

2020-2022 MMP Percent with a Need 2023 Client Services Unit Need at Intake
Emergency Financial Assistance (Benefits Assistance) - 25.15%

Recipient Service Considerations

TBD