42 U.S.C. § 254c–20 — Expanding capacity for health outcomes

(a) Definitions. (1) Eligible entity. An organization that provides or supports health care in rural areas, frontier areas, health professional shortage areas, or medically underserved areas, or for medically underserved populations or Native Americans (including Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations). It may include groups that lead, or could lead, the technology-enabled collaborative learning model described below, or that train people in it. (2) Health professional shortage area. An area designated under section 254e of this title. (3) Indian Tribe; Tribal organization. Have the meanings given in section 5304 of title 25. (4) Medically underserved population. Has the meaning given in section 254b(b)(3) of this title. (5) Native Americans. Has the meaning given in section 293 of this title, and includes Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. (6) Technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building model. A distance-learning program that connects health care workers — especially specialists — with many other health workers at once through interactive videoconferencing. It's used for case-based learning, sharing best practices, and checking outcomes. (7) Urban Indian organization. Has the meaning given in section 1603 of title 25. (b) Program established. The Secretary must give grants, as appropriate, to evaluate, develop, and — when it makes sense — expand the use of these technology-enabled learning models. The goal is to help health care providers stay in their jobs and to expand access to care — for example, care for chronic diseases, infectious diseases, mental health, substance use disorders, prenatal and maternal health, pediatric care, pain management, palliative care, and other specialty care — in rural areas, frontier areas, health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, and for medically underserved populations or Native Americans. (c) Use of funds. (1) In general. Grants must pay for: (A) building and buying training materials, and training health workers and others who provide or help provide services through these models — including training on how to collect data well and how to lead or take part in these technology-enabled activities; (B) collecting information and evaluating how these models affect patient outcomes and health workers, and finding best practices for expanding and using them; or (C) other activities that the Secretary decides fit the goals of the grants. (2) Other uses. Grant money may also pay for: (A) equipment needed to use and expand these models, including hardware and software for distance learning, provider support, and securely sharing electronic health information; or (B) support for the health workers and others involved in these models. (d) Length of grants. Grants can run for up to 5 years. (e) Grant requirements. The Secretary may require grantees to collect data on how these models affect things like health outcomes, access to care, quality of care, and whether providers stay in their jobs. The Secretary may also give a grant or contract to help coordinate these models, including checking their outcomes and helping with the data collection described in (c)(1)(B). (f) Application. An eligible entity that wants a grant must apply to the Secretary in the way and with the information the Secretary requires, including a plan to check how these models affect patient outcomes and health care providers. (g) Access to broadband. The Secretary may work with other agencies to help make sure funding opportunities support grantees getting reliable, high-speed internet. (h) Technical assistance. The Secretary must give technical assistance — either directly through the Department of Health and Human Services or by contract — to eligible entities, including grantees, on developing, using, and evaluating these models, to expand access to care, including for medically underserved areas, medically underserved populations, and Native Americans. (i) Research and evaluation. The Secretary, working with stakeholders who have expertise in these models, must build a strategic plan to research and evaluate the evidence behind them, and must use that plan to guide the activities carried out under this section. (j) Report by Secretary. By 4 years after December 27, 2020, the Secretary must prepare and submit to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and post on the Department of Health and Human Services website, a report that includes at least: (1) a description of new and continuing grants awarded under subsection (b), and their specific purposes and amounts; (2) an overview of (A) the evaluations conducted under subsection (b), (B) the technical assistance given under subsection (h), and (C) activities carried out by entities that received grants under subsection (b); and (3) a description of any significant findings or developments about patient outcomes, health care providers, and best practices for eligible entities expanding, using, or evaluating these models, including through the activities described in subsection (h). (k) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized $10,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2022 through 2026.