MHA's Center for Rural Health

Bill would drive more VA care to rural areas

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced a bill that would create a mobile system to bring Veterans Affairs physicians, nurses and caseworkers to rural communities for at least 48 hours at a time.

Co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Mobile Support for Rural Veterans measure would establish a pilot program for the system. The system would provide a wide range of services, including counseling and education on how to access VA healthcare, educational, pension or other benefits; assistance in completing the necessary paperwork for enrollment; prescriptions for veterans who suffer from acute or chronic injuries or illnesses; regular mental health screenings to identify potential mental-health disorders; job-placement assistance; and bereavement counseling to families of service members killed in action. The bill has been referred to the Veterans Affairs Committee, according to a spokesman in Klobuchar’s office.

Separately, Klobuchar introduced a bill to expand and ensure access to mental health services for the families of deployed National Guard and Reserve soldiers. The legislation would require Tricare plans to cover mental healthcare or substance-abuse treatment at any state-accredited facility enrolled for family members of deployed National Guard and Reserve members. Tricare is the military health system of the Defense Department.

[ via Jessica Zigmond, Modern Healthcare's Daily Dose ]

FCC announces $400 million rural telehealth program

The Federal Communications Commission will provide $400 million to create broadband telehealth networks to expand access to health care in rural and underserved communities, the agency announced Nov. 13. The Rural Health Care Pilot Program will facilitate telemedicine programs in 42 states and three U.S. territories.

Program participants will receive funding to bolster existing telehealth networks or support up to 85% of the costs to design, engineer and construct innovative and efficient broadband systems, the agency said.

Rod Piechowski, American Hospital Association senior associate director for policy, said the connectivity the pilot program will provide was essential to realizing a nationwide health information exchange network. “You can’t exchange data without connectivity,” he said.

[ via AHA News Now ]

Small Hospital FHA Loans Available

Federal Housing Administration Section 242 mortgage insurance has been around since 1968, but some hospitals don’t even know it is available. The FHA has taken steps to increase awareness and ease the application process in recent years, however, and some smaller hospitals have begun to take advantage. One of the goals of the FHA's section 242 mortgage insurance for hospitals is to support affordable financing of needed projects by reducing the cost of capital through credit enhancement.

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