This bill would create a new grant program in the Public Health Service Act to expand home-based telemental health services for certain rural and agricultural populations. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, working with the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Health Liaison, would award grants to public or nonprofit telemental health provider networks that offer mental health and substance use care. The law defines covered groups to include Health Professional Shortage Areas in rural places and people working in farming, fishing, or forestry occupations. Grant funds could be used to deliver telemental care in patients’ homes, develop quality and impact metrics, expand broadband, provide devices to patients, and offset technology costs for providers. The Secretary must report on the program’s impact and quality 3 years after it starts and every 2 years after that. The bill authorizes up to $10,000,000 per year for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out the program.
If you live in a rural Health Professional Shortage Area or work in farming, fishing, or forestry, this program could increase the availability of mental health and substance use services you can receive at home using video or other telecommunications. Eligible public or nonprofit telemental health networks could get grant money to improve broadband, give patients devices, and support provider technology so more people can connect from their homes.
The bill authorizes up to $10,000,000 for each fiscal year 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 to run the program. The law lists allowable uses of grant money (service delivery, metrics, broadband expansion, patient devices, and provider technology costs). No publicly available information on total program cost estimates beyond the yearly caps or on administrative costs or budget offsets.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.