Dear Colleagues,
We hope you're doing well, and that you all are finding time to enjoy the holiday season & what's left of 2021. As we round out the holidays and the final two weeks of another year full of unprecedented telehealth usage and growth, we want to take a second to say THANK YOU!
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and response, nearly 2 years has flown by; we're incredibly appreciative and thankful for the efforts that the healthcare field has put forth during this time, and we thought this was an apt period for reflection and recognition. We're grateful to call you our colleagues, and thankful the Northeast has such brilliant and dedicated professionals leading the charge! On a similar thread, we recognize that the continued spread of the COVID-19 Delta Variant, the arrival of the Omicron Variant, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts have all presented reasons to continue considering workflows and operational efforts to best mitigate spread while still providing quality care; we want you to know that the NETRC team is here to help however we can as while you continue to deliver care to your patients and communities.
Now, let's dive in! This edition of Northeast Connections aims to help you digest the multitudes of things happening across the telehealth landscape; including multiple CCHP Resources, Upcoming Webinars & Events for 2022, Open Telehealth Funding Opportunities, and so much more.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with your telehealth questions, success stories, or just to say hello; we hope to hear from you in 2022!
On behalf of the entire NETRC Team – Happy Holidays, & be well,
Reid Plimpton, MPH - Project Manager
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Open Funding Opportunities |
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Federal & State Policy Updates + CCHP Resources |
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Federal Policy and Reimbursement updates
As we have mentioned throughout 2021, this was a year of frequent discussions and changes at policy level of telehealth implementation, our colleagues at the Center for Connected Health Policy ( CCHP) recently released an in-depth newsletter covering this at all levels (State statute and regulatory avenues, Federal statute and reimbursement avenues, etc.), click here to read more.
In addition, our colleagues at the American Telemedicine Association have a comprehensive Federal Policy Tracker Document that they are maintaining, which you can click here to view.
Recent State Policy Updates
Please note that many states continue to keep their temporary telehealth COVID-19 emergency policies siloed from their permanent telehealth policies, while others have made permanent changes and updates; CCHP has clearly explained which documents include both of these scenarios, and which focus on permanent changes.
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Open Funding Opportunities & Updates |
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Rural Health Network Development Planning Program
FOA Number: HRSA-22-059
Applications Due: Jan 28, 2022
Total Program Funding: $ 2,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 20
Award Ceiling: $100,000
The purpose of the Network Planning Grant Program is to promote the development of integrated health care networks in order to:
- Achieve efficiencies;
- Expand access to, coordinate, and improve the quality of basic health care services and associated health outcomes; and
- Strengthen the rural health care system as a whole.
This program supports one year of planning and brings together key parts of a rural health care delivery system, particularly those entities that may not have collaborated in the past, to establish and/or improve local capacity in order to strengthen rural community health interventions, and enhance care coordination.For the purposes of this program, an integrated health care network is defined as an organizational arrangement among at least three (3) regional or local health care organizations that come together to develop strategies for improving health services in a community.
Click here to learn more & apply! |
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Fiscal Year 2022 Health Center Controlled Networks
FOA Number: HRSA-22-009
Applications Due: Feb. 1, 2022
Total Program Funding: $ 42,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 49
This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the fiscal year (FY) 2022 Health Center Controlled Networks (HCCNs) cooperative agreement. With FY 2022 funding, HCCNs will support health centers in leveraging health information technology (IT) and data to deliver high-quality, culturally competent, equitable, and comprehensive primary health care, with a specific focus on improvements in:
• Clinical quality,
• Patient-centered care, and
• Provider and staff well-being.
For the purposes of this funding opportunity, HCCNs are networks of health centers that work together to strengthen and leverage health IT to improve health centers’ operational and clinical practices that result in better health outcomes for the communities the health centers serve. Health IT has become essential in enabling the delivery of high-quality, culturally competent, equitable, and comprehensive primary health care, which has increased the need for health centers to expand their use of digital health tools. HCCNs will help health centers access and efficiently use digital health tools such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), telehealth, patient portals, and electronic registries, along with virtual care platforms that support their integration. HCCNs will also support health centers with translating robust clinical and population data into quality improvement and culturally competent, patient-centered care using, in part, data collected through digital health tools. With this data, health centers’ can improve clinical quality, while more effectively advancing health equity.
Click here to learn more & apply! |
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Implementation Research on Telehealth Strategies to Support Retention in Care and Treatment among Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Patients and Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Clients
FOA Number: RFA-PS-22-002
Applications Due: January 18, 2021
Total Program Funding: $ 3,600,000
Expected Number of Awards: 2
Award Ceiling: $450,000
Award Floor: $400,00
The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to solicit research applications to evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine to improve adherence to HIV prevention and treatment medication while also exploring the “implementability” of its practice into routine care. Specifically, this NOFO will, via a hybrid effectiveness-implementation research design:
1) evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine and supportive strategies to allow for retention in care and maintenance of antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication adherence among clinically stable people with HIV (PWH) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication adherence among those at risk for HIV infection, especially among racial/ethnic minorities, men who have sex with men (MSM), and transgender women and
2) identify potential implementation challenges by evaluating the delivery of these strategies.
Projects should evaluate the cost-effectiveness of providing differentiated service delivery (DSD) options that include telemedicine to patients on ART or on PrEP. DSD is a recommended approach to service delivery that simplifies and/or adapts HIV prevention and treatment services to more effectively and efficiently serve the needs of people living with, and at risk of acquiring, HIV while reducing unnecessary burdens on the healthcare system
Click here to learn more and apply! |
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USDA Rural Utilities Services (RUS) Rural eConnectivity Program
The ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that currently do not have sufficient access to broadband. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America. Beginning on November 24, 2021, applications can be submitted through the RUS on-line application portal until 11:59 a.m. Eastern on February 22, 2022.
For FY 22, loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations will be made for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas.
Click here to learn more and here apply ( Application portal opens on 11/24/21)! |
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FCC/ USAC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program & Affordable Connectivity Program- Program Updates
Congress recently created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new long-term, $14 billion program, which will replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This investment in broadband affordability will help ensure we can afford the connections we need for work, school, health care and more for a long time.
The temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program will become the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACF), a new longer-term program, on December 31, 2021.Households enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program as of 12/31/21 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit until 3/1/22. The most recent FCC guidance released on December 8th, 2021 can be found here.
Starting in 2022:
- The maximum monthly benefit will change from $50 per month to $30 per month for households not located on qualifying Tribal lands. The monthly benefit will remain at $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.
- Households have new ways to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program such as: receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
- Households that qualified for the Emergency Broadband Benefit due to a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 or by meeting the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's COVID-19 program will need to re-qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. These households will receive additional details about the steps they need to take from the program administrator (USAC) or their broadband provider, in January 2022, and will be given at least 30 days to respond. They will continue to receive their full EBB benefit until March 1, 2022.
The FCC is accepting comments on the implementation of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) through December 28. If you are interested in submitting reply comments, please visit the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). From ECFS, enter “21-450” in the “Proceeding(s)” field, and select “Affordable Connectivity Program” from the drop down menu.
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Open Telehealth Job Opportunities |
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The University of New Hampshire is hiring for a Director of Interprofessional Education and the Telehealth Practice Center!
This new position, reporting to the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, will engage in the academic mission of the College to strengthen the IPE curriculum and the growth of Telehealth Practice Center. Responsibilities include the integration of telepractice and e-health modalities in undergraduate and graduate education, service, and research for the health and human services disciplines across UNH. Ideal candidates will hold an advanced degree in a related field, exhibit an understanding of best practices around IPE in health and human services curricula, demonstrate clinical knowledge and understanding of the implementation of digital health technologies into service delivery, and have experience in the area(s) of sustainability planning and grant development and management.
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Upcoming Webinars and Events |
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NCTRC Webinar Series
Telehealth Policy Update: What Has Happened & What to Look for in 2022
January 20, 2022- 2pm EST
Hosted by: Center for Connected Health Policy
Description: Mei Kwong, Executive Director for the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), the federally designated telehealth policy resource center, will provide an update on federal and state telehealth policy, what’s been made permanent, what’s still temporary and what we may see in the coming months. The presentation will include updates on Medicare and potential 2022 legislative trends.
Click here to register today! |
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Collaborative for Advancing Rural Excellence and Equity (CARE2) Project ECHO
Project ECHO: Aging, Community, and Equity (PEACE). The program will run February 2022-September 2022 on the second Wednesday of every month from 12:00pm-1:30pm EST.
Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an evidence-based method developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico. During teleECHO™ sessions, expert mentors share their expertise across a virtual network via case-based learning.
In this Older Adult ECHO program, participants will explore:
- Pandemic-related social isolation
- Methods to support formal & informal caregivers
- Impacts of the pandemic on cognitive decline
- Effects of isolation on physical & mental health
- Solutions for rural communities
Intended audience: Medical, mental health, and community social service individuals working to support older adults in rural settings of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Northern New York
Click here to view the program flyer & here to apply for participation!
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Treating Addiction in Rural Areas ECHO
Project ECHO: JSI Research & Training Institute Inc. (JSI) / Center for Excellence on Addiction is seeking interested substance use treatment, co-occurring behavioral health treatment, and recovery support service organizations in NH, ME and VT to join the Treating Addiction in Rural Areas ECHO. Program commitment to a five year engagement starting in January 2022: teams consisting of 2-5 individuals/year (10-25 participants over five years)
Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an evidence-based method developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico. During teleECHO™ sessions, expert mentors share their expertise across a virtual network via case-based learning.
The Treating Addiction in Rural Areas ECHO will:
- Increase provider knowledge and skills to utilize The ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) Criteria
- Provide access to a multidisciplinary team of substance use disorder experts
- Develop a learning community of substance use professionals throughout NH, ME and VT
- Utilize ongoing case-based discussions of participant-identified patients using The ASAM Criteria
Click here to view the program flyer, and click here to apply for participation!
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TTAC & NCTRC Virtual Technology Showcase
2/2-2/3 2022
How are you celebrating Groundhog Day? Tune in to the National Virtual Technology Showcase February 2nd and 3rd to make sure you don’t get left in the shadows!
This free two-day event will feature several telemedicine use case scenarios where patients, caregivers, and providers present virtual care models such as emergency services, behavioral health, school-based care, remote patient monitoring and direct to consumer patient care. As an attendee, you will have an opportunity to discuss the various telehealth technologies used in the telemedicine scenarios with Vendors who will be on hand to answer your questions.
Exciting Keynote presenters will kick off each day, you won’t want to miss a discussion with Dr. Meskó (aka “The Medical Futurist”) and other leaders in the industry who are developing and implementing innovative ways of using technology to enhance patient care.
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SAVE THE DATE: ATA2022 Annual Conference & Expo
May 1-3, 2022 in Boston, MA
ATA2022 will showcase a mix of practical applications of telehealth – from preventative and primary care to behavioral health and other areas of specialty care — and hands-on workshops, mixed with luminary vision of important next steps for telehealth’s future. #GoTelehealth
Early Bird registration pricing available until 1/2/2022, "Advanced" Registration available through 4/1/2022, Click here to learn more and register today!
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Telehealth LaunchPad On Demand! |
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As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the NETRC2021 Telehealth Launchpad Conference was held in September 2021, and the majority of the 25+ conference presentations & all of the presentation slides, along with additional resources from our event Industry Partners & Sponsors are now available on the EventMobi Conference Platform! See below for information on how to access said recordings and slides, and click here to read NETRC's summary write-up on the event.
For those who attended, Click here to access the platform. For those who were unable to attend the event but are interested in viewing the recorded sessions from NETRC’s conference, contact Phonse Allen-Laney at aralaney@mcdph.org or netrc@mcd.org to discuss access!
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Featured Telehealth News
A larger news compilation can be found on the NETRC site here.
Telehealth Policy Updates: Change in Telehealth Place of Service Code (POS), Claims Lags, Private Payers & More
Telehealth.org November 23, 2021 Link
Landmark federal and state telehealth policy changes are occurring rapidly. This week’s quick synopsis of recent U.S. developments provides links to key documents. It covers telehealth’s changing place of service code (POS), claims lags, laws impacting private payers, the extension of the public health emergency for Medicaid, telehealth coverage state-related changes, and more.
CMS Changes Course by Repealing the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology and Definition of Reasonable and Necessary Rule Due to Insufficient Beneficiary Protections
Health Care Law Today November 21, 2021 Link
On November 12, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is rescinding the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology and Definition of “Reasonable and Necessary” (MCIT/R&N) final rule, which would have become effective on December 15, 2021.
Remote Monitoring Via Text Linked to Fewer COVID-19 Deaths
mHealthIntelligence November 19, 2021 Link
Penn Medicine leveraged a text-based remote monitoring program which resulted in three deaths as compared to 12 deaths among patients who received usual outpatient care protocols.
HHS OIG Studies State Medicaid Programs’ Use of Telehealth
JDSUPRA November 16, 2021 Link
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently issued a report concerning the use of telehealth to render behavioral health services to Medicaid enrollees, calling for greater evaluation and oversight in the hopes of encouraging states to implement changes to improve how their Medicaid programs use telehealth for behavioral health services, including mental health assessments, individual therapy, and medication management.
The State of Telehealth: Providers and Patients Weigh In
Fierce Healthcare November 15, 2021 Link
COVID-19 drove a telehealth boom that led to more interaction and better outcomes for both providers and patients, according to a new State of Telehealth survey GoodRx conducted along with the American Telemedicine Association during the pandemic.
Minding The Access Gap: Addressing Both The Digital And Transportation Divides To Improve Outcomes
HealthAffairs November 12, 2021 Link
Prompted by concerns that some in-person care was too dangerous during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the US health care sector accelerated telehealth’s expansion. While telehealth has improved access to many outpatient services, marginalized patients—rural, poor, older, and minority patients—may not have benefitted equally from telehealth’s expansion. This stems, in part, from the “digital divide”—differential access to personal technology or broadband connectivity that results from historic disparities in economic means or educational attainment.
Let's Talk Compliance Recap: The Telemedicine Cliff
Health Care Law Today November 10, 2021 Link
In the October 8, 2021 session of our Let’s Talk Compliance series, Foley & Lardner’s T.J. Ferrante and PYA’s Valerie Rock shared their expertise and answered questions regarding telemedicine. One area of focus was the “telemedicine cliff” - unless Congress acts, the telemedicine requirements will return to their prior restrictions after the Public Health Emergency (PHE).
Final Physician Fee Schedule Telehealth Policy Changes to Medicare for CY 2022
CCHP November 10, 2021 Link
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) policies for Medicare last week. Unless otherwise noted, the policies will take effect on January 1, 2022. Much of the proposals published in July 2021 for public commentary remain intact, but CMS did make several modifications and clarifications.
Telehealth Policy Updates:
CCHP November 9, 2021 Link
CHHP Insights into State and Federal Developments & Trends
Permanent Audio-Only Telehealth, Licensure Flexibilities Key to Virtual Care
mHealthIntelligence November 9, 2021 Link
As states look to make telehealth policies enacted during the pandemic permanent, a new report recommends focusing on allowances expanding audio-only telehealth and cross-state medical licensing.
Senate Bill Aims to Solidify Medicare Coverage for Telehealth
mHealthIntelligence November 8, 2021 Link
The proposed bill would permanently expand Medicare coverage for select telehealth services, including physical therapy and speech-language pathology.
Limited English Proficiency Hinders Access to Telehealth Video Visits
mHealthIntelligence November 4, 2021 Link
Patients with limited English proficiency and no past telehealth video visit experience were unlikely to choose video over telephone appointments for primary care telehealth services, a study found.
Telehealth Reimbursement Alert: Federal Register Releases Allowed 2022 Telehealth CPT Codes & Services
Telehealth.org November 4, 2021 Link
UPDATED 11/9/21 Many long-awaited decisions regarding telehealth CPT codes were released earlier this week, signaling a new frontier for telehealth reimbursement.
Physician fee schedule final rule opens up telehealth access
HealthcareITNews November 3, 2021 Link
AMA wants Congress to avert physician payment cuts it says will amount to 9.75% for 2022.
Orgs Ask Congress to Make Telehealth a Permanent Excepted Benefit
mHealthIntelligence November 3, 2021 Link
Permanently including telehealth services as an excepted benefit under ERISA would allow all employees, regardless of employment status, to access virtual healthcare beyond the pandemic, the organizations said.
HHS-OIG Reports on Pandemic Medicare Teleheatlh Trends to Inform Permanent Policies
CCHP November 2, 2021 Link
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) released a telehealth report on October 18th that looked at the relationship between providers and Medicare patients utilizing telehealth between March and December 2020. Specifically, HHS-OIG examined encounter claims data to determine the presence of pre-existing relationships, dates of any prior visits, and the types of services provided.
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
Check out the complete Telehealth Library Database on the NETRC site here.
State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2021. Link
Telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment in low-barrier clinic settings: an exploration of clinician and staff perspectives Shoshana V. Aronowitz, Eden Engel-Rebitzer, Abby Dolan,Kehinde Okeykanmi, et. al, 2021.
Harm Reduction Journal Link
Consumer Engagement in Health Care 2021 Survey Results Employee Benefit Research Institute. 2021. Link
Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives
,Ji Eun Chang, Zoe Lindenfeld, Stephanie L. Albert, Rachel Massar, Donna Shelley, Lorraine Kwok, Kayla Fennelly and Carolyn A. Berry 2021. JABFM Link
Changes in Virtual an In-Person Health Care Utilization in a Large Health System During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Telemedicine: Ensuring Safe, Equitable, Person-Centered Virtual Care- Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), 2021 Link
NETRC Regional Telehealth Legislation and Regulation Tracker- Center for Connected Health Policy, 2021 Link
University of New Hampshire TelePractice Center (TPC) TelePractice Training Videos- UNH TPC 2021 Link
Changes in Short-term, Long-term, and Preventive Care Delivery in US Office-Based and Telemedicine Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic Cortez C., Mansour, O., Qato, D.M., 2021 Link
GAO Reports on Telehealth COVID-19 Flexibilities Center for Connected Health Policy, 2021 Link
FQHC Telehealth Playbook- MA FQHC Telehealth Consortium; 2021 Link
Rapid Transition to Telehealth and the Digital Divide: Implications for Primary Care Access and Equity in a Post-COVID Era .Ji E. Chang PhD, MS, Alden Y. Lai, Avni Gupta, Ann Nguyen, Arolyn Berry, Donna Shelley 2021 Link
Addressing Inequities in Older Adults’ Health: A Role for Emerging Technologies
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource Center has been made possible by grant numbers G22RH30352 and 1 U1UTH42523‐01‐00 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth: HRSA / DHHS. |
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