May 2021 Newsletter
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Opens May 12, 2021
The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.
"We need to use all available tools to get 100% of us connected in this country and this program is an essential part of making that happen."
- Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
“Families in every corner of the country have been struggling to get online throughout this pandemic. For those families, we now say help is around the corner. In less than two weeks, we will have a new way for disconnected Americans to access the internet to carry out their day-to-day life, so they can reach the virtual classroom, take advantage of telehealth, and seek new employment opportunities. I’m proud of the work we’ve done as an agency to get this program off the ground in record time,” said Rosenworcel.
Who Is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?
A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:
Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
When Can I Sign Up for the Benefit?
As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting GetEmergencyBroadband.org.
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This year, the UMTRC will be hosting our 3rd Annual Conference in-person!!! The conference will be held at the Gillespie Conference Center in South Bend, Indiana. An evening reception will welcome everyone on Monday, July 19th; conference sessions will be held on July 20-21.
Attendee and exhibitor registration is open!
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UMTRC Telehealth Workshop
If you couldn’t make it to our any of our previous workshops, don’t worry! You’ve got one more chance! Join us on May 14th to hear speakers from the IRHA and UMTRC teams. We will be covering a variety of topics from Needs Assessment and Consent Forms to Remote Patient Monitoring. You don’t want to miss this chance to participate virtually and earn a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. View the agenda HERE.
The UMTRC is offering scholarships to the first 100 individuals in each of our four regions (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio) to attend the workshop at no cost.
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Illinois Telehealth Legislation - HB3498
Illinois House Bill 3498 has passed from the House to the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. If the bill also passes the Senate, it is expected to be signed by Illinois Governor Jay Robert "J. B." Pritzker. This bill would ensure that health insurance issuers shall cover all telehealth services rendered by a health care professional to deliver any clinically appropriate, medically necessary covered services.
One of the most comprehensive changes is this bill would provide that there shall be no restrictions on originating site requirements for telehealth
coverage or reimbursement to the distant site. We have seen many state Medicaid programs adopt this language, as a way to continue on of the most popular provisions from the site location waivers that were part of the 1135 waivers during March and April 2020, in response to the advent of COVID-19 and the worldwide pandemic. The bill also provides that health care professionals and facilities shall determine the appropriateness of specific sites, technology platforms, and technology vendors for a telehealth service, as long as delivered services adhere to privacy laws.
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Indiana Senate Bill 3 Becomes Public Law
On April 20, 2021, Indiana's Governor Holcomb, signed into law SEA3 (Senate Enrolled Act), a telehealth bill. The bill cleans up some of the standards in previous Indiana laws. Below are just some of the details of Indiana's latest telehealth updates.
- Changes the term 'telemedicine' to 'telehealth'.
- Expands the application of the telehealth statute to additional licensed practitioners instead of applying only to prescribers.
List of providers expanded to: athletic trainer, chiropractor, dental hygienist, dentist, diabetes educator, dietitian, genetic counselor, physician, nurse, occupational therapist, behavioral health and human services professional, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician assistant, podiatrist, psychologist, respiratory care practitioner, speech-language pathologist or audiologist.
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UMTRC Podcasts
Our latest podcast, episode 11, was published May 7th, and is focused on expanding telehealth in rural areas. Becky Sanders interviewed Dr. Josh Cullison, the medical director of rural health clinics for Greene County Hospital, to discuss the limitations telehealth can have in rural communities, as well as the benefits it can provide to those same communities.. You can access our podcasts through our website or subscribe to them on your favorite podcast platform! New episodes are typically released on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month. Our first few episodes have highlighted different programs at the Indiana Rural Health Association, since our UMTRC program would not be possible without them! We are now reaching out to our partners throughout our 4-state region of IL, IN, MI, and OH. If you have a suggestion for a future topic, or would like us to interview you, please complete the form at Podcast Inquiry.
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Upcoming Webinars
Date: May 12, 2021
Time: 12:00 - 1:00pm EST
Presenter(s):
Becky Sanders, MBA, Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center
Nichole Small, Medicaid Health Systems Administrator
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Date: May 19, 2021
Time: 12:00 - 1:00pm EST
Presenter(s):
Becky Sanders, MBA, Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center
Andrew Mitchell, AIA, ACHA, Associate Principal, MKM architecture + design
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Date: May 26, 2021
Time: 1:00 - 2:00pm EST
Presenter(s):
Cameron Hilt, MPH, Project Director, IRHA
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Additional Training Opportunity
On May 21st, the UMTRC will present an all-day, virtual training in conjunction with the Ohio State Office of Rural Health. This workshop will cover several basic topics on the evolution of virtual care including: broadband, telehealth/virtual care, reimbursement, and financial sustainability.
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Similar to webinars, our Virtual Office Hours are offered virtually. They are more informal, more interactive, and typically last less than one hour.
Our May Virtual Office Hours will be:
Patient and Provider Resources
Date: May 25, 2021
Time: 1:00-1:30pm
Hosted by: Becky Sanders and Deena Dodd
This session will provide information on patient and provider resources available through the UMTRC.org website.
Healthcare Literacy & Preparing Patients for Telehealth Visits
Date: May 27, 2021
Time: 1:00pm-1:30pm EST
Location: Videoconferencing
Hosted by: Becky Sanders and Deena Dodd
Join us for an interactive discussion!
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UMTRC 2021 Stakeholder Calls
As a grant-funded organization, the goal of the Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center (UMTRC) is to provide technical assistance to assist individuals and organizations in our region who are interested in telehealth. One of the ways that we do this is through our quarterly stakeholder calls, where we focus on policy and reimbursement changes for the states in our region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. We invite you to join us for the jam-packed update to the quarterly state of telehealth in our region! These typically occur on the 3rd Wednesday of each quarter (January, April, July, and October). Anyone may register and participate in any of the calls. Check out our events for more information, and to register for each specific call.
Here are the remaining 2021 stakeholder calls dates:
Wednesday, July 21st from 2-3pm EST
Wednesday, October 20th from 2-3pm EST
Up Next:
July 21, 2021
2:00-3:00pm EST
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Upcoming In-Person Conferences & Virtual Events
IRHA Annual Rural Health Conference
IRHA’s Annual Conference brings together physicians, nurses, pharmacists, public health professionals, and other rural health professionals. Practitioners from the field and national experts discuss current topics in public health and rural health. The latest information regarding the start-up and on-going management of rural health care delivery models are presented throughout the Conference.
Exhibitor space is SOLD OUT but Attendee registration is still OPEN!
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3rd Annual UMTRC Telehealth Conference
We are excited to hold our 3rd Annual Telehealth Conference in person this summer! The UMTRC is your authority on telehealth adoption, delivery, compliance, and reimbursement, and we are proud to bring together experts and professionals to extend our reach at our annual conference. Join us and enhance your telehealth knowledge!
Exhibitor and attendee registration is open!
Social and Subscribe
Be sure to connect with the UMTRC on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for information on where to find us at training sessions, conferences, and the like.
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UMTRC c/o IRHA
2901 Ohio Boulevard, Suite 240
Terre Haute, IN 47803
855-283-3734 extension 238
[email protected]
This newsletter was made possible by grant numbers G22RH30351 and GA5RH37466 from the Office for Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resource and Services Administration, DHHS. This information or content and conclusions are those of the UMTRC and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.