COVID-19 & Rural Health Clinics
**NARHC will update this page with additional resources
throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. You can find all Technical Assistance Webinar recordings, slides, and transcripts here.**
HRSA Programs - RHC Funding and Resource Opportunities
|
Name of Grant/Allocation |
Important Dates |
Amount/Purpose |
Reporting Requirements & Other Links |
|
Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation Program |
Automatically Awarded: June 2021. |
$100,000 per RHC |
Terms and Conditions Questions? Email |
|
HRSA COVID-19 Testing Supply Program |
Ongoing - |
Direct shipments of at-home COVID-19 tests, and Point-of-Care Testing Supplies. |
|
| HRSA RHC COVID-19 Therapeutic Treatment Program | Ongoing- Available Now | Direct access to COVID-19 therapeutics Paxlovid and Lagevrio (monulpiravir). | Questions? Email RHCcovidsupplies@narhc.org |
|
Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence (RHCVC) Program |
Program Start Date: July 1, 2021
Last day to apply for No Cost Extension on EHB: May 31, 2022
Last day to draw down funds in PMS: September 28, 2022 |
Approximately $49,500 per awarded RHC. |
HRSA Program Page Questions? Email HRSA Health Grants Workshop Web Series |
|
Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Program
|
Ongoing – |
Direct shipments of the COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, and/or Johnson and Johnson). Adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines (including those for children under 5) available. |
|
|
Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing Program |
Automatically Awarded beginning May 2020. Period of Availability: |
$49,461.42 Per RHC |
Terms and Conditions |
Provider Relief Fund
RHCs have received multiple tranches or allocations of money from the federal government to help with COVID-19. It is important for RHCs to understand why they received the money they did, and what strings may be attached to each allocation. General details.
|
Name of Grant/Allocation |
Important Dates |
Amount/Purpose |
Reporting Requirements & Other Links |
|
Phase 1 General Distribution |
Automatically Awarded April 10, 2020 Period of Availability: January 1, 2020 - |
6.2% of 2019 Medicare Reimbursement |
Provider Relief Fund Portal
Reporting portal open July 1 - September 30, 2021 |
|
Phase 2 General Distribution |
Automatically Awarded April 24, 2020 Period of Availability: |
2% of 2018 revenue minus Phase 1 Distribution |
Provider Relief Fund Portal Reporting portal open July 1 - September 30, 2021 (Plus Extensions) |
|
Rural Targeted Allocation |
Automatically Awarded May 6, 2020 Period of Availability: January 1, 2020 - |
$103k + 3.6% operating expenses (Ind.), Graduated Base Payment + 1.97% of operating expenses (PB) |
Provider Relief Fund Portal
Reporting portal open |
|
Phase 3 General Distribution |
|
Variable |
Provider Relief Fund Portal Reporting portal open |
|
Phase 4 General Distribution and American Rescue Plan Rural (Application Required) |
Award beginning December 2021 Period of Availability: January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2022 |
Variable |
Provider Relief Fund Portal Report portal open |
Telehealth Policy Change During COVID-19
Medicare telehealth policy has shifted dramatically for the entire healthcare industry in response to COVID-19. Rural health clinic telehealth policy has also shifted significantly, but in different ways than fee-for-service providers.
The following chart breaks down the types of telehealth services RHC can bill for and how to bill for them during the Public Health Emergency. Post-PHE telehealth will require legislative action.
All RHCs billing for telehealth should review the MLN Matters document: New and Expanded Flexibilities for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).
In December 2020 CMS announced significant telehealth coinsurance changes.
Beginning January 2022 and not connected to the PHE, RHCs can bill and be reimbursed for mental health services provided via telehealth. More information can be found here.
|
Name of Telehealth Service |
Brief Description |
How to Bill |
Amount (2022) |
|
Virtual Check-In or Virtual Care Communications |
Remote evaluation - G2010 Brief communication with patient (5 min) - G2012
|
G0071 |
$23.88 |
|
Digital e-Visits |
Remote evaluation and management |
G0071 |
$23.88 |
|
Telehealth Visits |
One to one substitutes for in-person services/visits List of allowable services maintained by CMS |
G2025 |
$97.24 |
|
Telephone Audio-Only E/M Visits |
Telephone E/M99441-99443 |
Can bill as G2025 services |
$97.24 |
Public Health Emergency Duration
Many temporary waivers are in effect for the duration of the PHE. The Secretary of Health and Human Service posts their Public Health Emergency Declarations here:https://www.phe.gov/emergency/news/healthactions/phe/Pages/default.aspx. The PHE can be renewed for 3 months at a time. Commercial payers may issue their own policies with their own timelines that may or may not depend on the federal government’s declaration of a public health emergency.
**DISCLAIMER**
These resources are supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,750,000 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources for the project period of June 2021 through May 2023. The contents are those of NARHC and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
