42 USC 254 - Telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs

View all text of Subparti [§ 254b - § 254c-22]

§ 254c–14. Telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Director; Office

(2) Federally qualified health center and rural health clinic

(3) Frontier community

(4) Medically underserved area

(5) Medically underserved population

(6) Telehealth services

(7) Telehealth technologies

(b) Programs

(1) Establishment

(2) Duties

(d) Grants

(1) Telehealth network grantsThe Director may, in carrying out the telehealth network grant program referred to in subsection (b), award grants to eligible entities for evidence-based projects that utilize telehealth technologies through telehealth networks in rural areas, frontier communities, and medically underserved areas, and for medically underserved populations, to—

(A) expand access to, coordinate, and improve access to, and the quality of, health care services; and

(B) expand and improve the quality of health information available to health care providers,,1

1 So in original.

patients, and their families.

(2) Telehealth resource centers grants

(e) Grant periods

(f) Eligible entities

(1) In general

(2) Nature of entities

(3) Composition of networkThe telehealth network shall include at least 2 of the following entities (at least 1 of which shall be a community-based health care provider):

(A) Community or migrant health centers or other Federally qualified health centers.

(B) Health care providers, including pharmacists, in private practice.

(D) Local health departments.

(E) Nonprofit hospitals, including community access hospitals.

(F) Other publicly funded health or social service agencies.

(G) Long-term care providers.

(H) Providers of health care services in the home.

(I) Providers of outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services and entities operating outpatient mental health and substance use disorder facilities.

(J) Local or regional emergency health care providers.

(K) Institutions of higher education.

(L) Entities operating dental clinics.

(M) Providers of prenatal, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care services, including hospitals that operate obstetric care units.

(g) ApplicationsTo be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (d), an eligible entity, in consultation with the appropriate State office of rural health or another appropriate State entity, shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—

(1) a description of the project that the eligible entity will carry out using the funds provided under the grant;

(2) a description of the manner in which the project funded under the grant will meet the health care needs of rural or other populations to be served through the project, and improve the access to services of, and the quality of the services received by, those populations;

(3) evidence of local support for the project, and a description of how the areas, communities, or populations to be served will be involved in the development and ongoing operations of the project;

(4) a plan for sustaining the project after Federal support for the project has ended;

(5) information on the source and amount of non-Federal funds that the entity will provide for the project;

(6) information demonstrating the long-term viability of the project, and other evidence of institutional commitment of the entity to the project;

(7) in the case of an application for a project involving a telehealth network, information demonstrating how the project will promote the integration of telehealth technologies into the operations of health care providers, to avoid redundancy, and improve access to and the quality of care; and

(8) other such information as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(h) Preferences

(1) Telehealth networksIn awarding grants under subsection (d)(1) for projects involving telehealth networks, the Secretary shall give preference to an eligible entity that meets at least 1 of the following requirements:

(A) Organization

(B) Services

(D) NetworkThe eligible entity demonstrates that the project involves a telehealth network that includes an entity that—

(i) provides clinical health care services, or educational services for health care providers and for patients or their families; and

(ii) is—(I) a public library;(II) an institution of higher education; or(III) a local government entity.

(E) Connectivity

(2) Telehealth resource centersIn awarding grants under subsection (d)(2) for projects involving telehealth resource centers, the Secretary shall give preference to an eligible entity that meets at least 1 of the following requirements:

(A) Provision of services

(B) Collaboration and sharing of expertise

(C) Broad range of telehealth servicesThe eligible entity has a record of providing a broad range of telehealth services, which may include—

(i) a variety of clinical specialty services;

(ii) patient or family education;

(iii) health care professional education; and

(iv) rural residency support programs.

(i) Distribution of funds

(1) In general

(2) Telehealth networks

(j) Use of funds

(1) Telehealth network programThe recipient of a grant under subsection (d)(1) may use funds received through such grant for salaries, equipment, and operating or other costs, including the cost of—

(A) developing and delivering clinical telehealth services that enhance access to community-based health care services in rural areas, frontier communities, or medically underserved areas, or for medically underserved populations;

(B) developing and acquiring, through lease or purchase, equipment that furthers the objectives of the telehealth network grant program;

(C)

(i) developing and providing distance education, in a manner that enhances access to care in rural areas, frontier communities, or medically underserved areas, or for medically underserved populations; or

(ii) mentoring, precepting, or supervising health care providers and students seeking to become health care providers, in a manner that enhances access to care in the areas and communities, or for the populations, described in clause (i);

(D) developing and acquiring instructional programming;

(E)

(i) providing for transmission of medical data, and maintenance of equipment; and

(ii) providing for compensation (including travel expenses) of specialists, and referring health care providers, who are providing telehealth services through the telehealth network, if no third party payment is available for the telehealth services delivered through the telehealth network;

(F) developing projects to use telehealth technology to facilitate collaboration between health care providers;

(G) collecting and analyzing usage statistics and data to document the cost-effectiveness of the telehealth services; and

(H) carrying out such other activities as are consistent with achieving the objectives of this section, as determined by the Secretary.

(2) Telehealth resource centersThe recipient of a grant under subsection (d)(2) may use funds received through such grant for salaries, equipment, and operating or other costs for—

(A) providing technical assistance, training, and support, and providing for travel expenses, for health care providers and a range of health care entities that provide or will provide telehealth services;

(B) disseminating information and research findings related to telehealth services;

(D) conducting evaluations to determine the best utilization of telehealth technologies to meet health care needs;

(E) promoting the integration of the technologies used in clinical information systems with other telehealth technologies;

(F) fostering the use of telehealth technologies to provide health care information and education for consumers in a more effective manner; and

(G) implementing special projects or studies under the direction of the Office.

(k) Prohibited uses of fundsAn entity that receives a grant under this section may not use funds made available through the grant—

(1) to acquire real property;

(2) for expenditures to purchase or lease equipment, to the extent that the expenditures would exceed 20 percent of the total grant funds;

(3) in the case of a project involving a telehealth network, to purchase or install transmission equipment;

(4) to pay for any equipment or transmission costs not directly related to the purposes for which the grant is awarded;

(5) to purchase or install general purpose voice telephone systems;

(6) for construction; or

(7) for expenditures for indirect costs (as determined by the Secretary), to the extent that the expenditures would exceed 15 percent of the total grant funds.

(l) CollaborationIn providing services under this section, an eligible entity shall collaborate, if feasible, with entities that—

(1)

(A) are private or public organizations, that receive Federal or State assistance; or

(B) are public or private entities that operate centers, or carry out programs, that receive Federal or State assistance; and

(2) provide telehealth services or related activities.

(m) Coordination with other agencies

(n) Outreach activities

(o) Telehealth

(p) Report

(q) Authorization of appropriations

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 330I, as added Pub. L. 107–251, title II, § 212, Oct. 26, 2002, 116 Stat. 1632; amended Pub. L. 108–163, § 2(c), Dec. 6, 2003, 117 Stat. 2021; Pub. L. 113–55, title I, § 103(a), Nov. 27, 2013, 127 Stat. 642; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3212, Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 368; Pub. L. 117–103, div. P, title I, § 143, Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 799.)