Telehealth is playing a critical role in increasing access to care for patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. Many providers have questions about how to adopt telehealth, what new policy changes mean, and what others are doing to leverage the power of telehealth in reaching more people. The resources listed below include fact sheets, toolkits, ongoing webinars, and CDC guidance related to COVID-19. We also realize it’s a stressful time for health care providers, responders, and all others impacted by COVID-19. The CDC has created a resource page in response. It includes a hotline number and other resources that can be used to help manage the stress and anxiety.

The state and federal guidelines and factsheets below will provide you with up-to-date information and help answer questions you have. They are updated as changes to policy are announced.

Here’s how you can stay up-to-date during COVID-19:

• Review state and federal updates for telehealth reimbursement coverage
• Contact us with questions
• Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
• Explore funding opportunities to expand access to telehealth services
• Register for the Heartland Telehealth Resource Center’s webinar series. HTRC will present a series of webinars from 12-1pm CST on May 5, June 2, July 7 and August 4.

All sessions will be recorded so if you miss one you can view it on our HTRC Webinars page. Registration for Missouri Telehealth Network and Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences weekly webinars are listed below.

Missouri Telehealth Network COVID-19 ECHO will meet via Zoom videoconferencing every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone interested in learning how to protect, diagnose and treat Missouri patients with COVID-19, as well as how to protect their overall community, are encouraged to join. A multidisciplinary expert team led by Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams, MD, will share the latest developments, answer questions, and discuss management of patient cases presented by participants. Register and learn more here.

Kansas (as of 5-12-20)

• A Provider’s Guide: Telehealth Reimbursement Coverage in Kansas During COVID-19
• Current Kansas requirements for the provision of telehealth services in Kansas

Missouri (as of 5-12-20)

• A Provider’s Guide: Telehealth Reimbursement Coverage in Missouri During COVID-19

Oklahoma (as of 5-12-20)

• A Provider’s Guide: Telehealth Requirements and Policy Changes in Oklahoma During COVID-19

• A Provider’s Guide: Federal Telehealth Policy and Requirements During COVID-19 (As of 5-12-20)
• CMS Dear Clinician Letter:  outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care during the outbreak of COVID-19

• FCC ANNOUNCES COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM. New Program Will Provide $200 Million to Support Health Care Providers and Patients Across the Country During the Coronavirus Outbreak The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau began accepting applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program beginning Monday, April 13, 2020. The COVID-19 Telehealth Program will provide $200 million in funding, appropriated by Congress as part of the CARES Act, to help health care providers furnish connected care services to patients at their homes or mobile locations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further information and the dedicated application portal are available at: www.fcc.gov/covid19telehealth
• USDA Announces Second Application Window for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program Funding. $72 Million Available to Help Rural Residents Gain Access to Health Care and Educational Opportunities. The USDA is opening a second application window for funding under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program, beginning April 14 and lasting through July 13, 2020. The Distance Learning and Telemedicine program helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. Information and Application materials are available at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/distance-learning-telemedicine-grants.
• Hospitals receive Emergency Oklahoma Universal Services Fund (OUSF) for Telemedicine bandwith: The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has developed a COVID-19 OUSF Emergency Response Process to get funds approved for bandwidth increases. Hospitals, Schools, and Libraries currently receiving funding should reach out to their service provider directly to request an increase in bandwidth during the designated emergency period. Healthcare providers, if this change puts your Federal funding in jeopardy, we are hereby committing to cover your services. This is a public safety matter and cannot be delayed.Upon request from a hospital for increased bandwidth under this program, OUSF Service Providers (telecommunications carrier) should immediately submit the form provided in the link below to request immediate approval of bandwidth increases for eligible entities. https://www.occeweb.com/pu/OUSF/OUSF_COVID19.htm

• Graphic outlining new CMS flexibility in responding to COVID-19
• COVID-19 Telehealth Toolkit released by the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers helps organizations implement telehealth during the COVID-19 outbreak. It covers how telehealth can be used to respond to COVID-19 and policy related to coverage and payment.
• Telehealth Services Fact sheet for Medicare fee-for-service providers. This booklet contains information regarding Telehealth Services requirements, distant site practitioners, and billing and payment for the originating site facility and updates relating to COVID-19.
• Coronavirus Telehealth Policy Fact Sheet from the Center for Connected Health Policy outlines current telehealth policy during COVID-19. It summarizes what is covered by various public and private payers with information that has been released.
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for State Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Agencies.
• CDC Guidance for COVID-19 provides information for public and health care professionals and facilities on the best practices related to COVID-19.
• The latest COVID-19 updates
• Information for health care providers
• Resources for the community
• Telehealth Rocks pediatric behavioral health resources for schools

Telehealth Technology Resource Assessment Center toolkit provides an overviews of the common steps in evaluating technology for your program.

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