HHS Awards Nearly $55 Million Toward Virtual Care
According to a Feb. 14 press release, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $55 million to 29 HRSA-funded health centers. The funding is meant to increase healthcare access and quality for underserved populations through virtual care including telehealth, remote patient monitoring, digital patient tools, and health information technology platforms.
The release states that “In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, health centers have quickly expanded their use of virtual care to maintain access to essential primary care services. They reported significant growth in the number of virtual visits from 478,333 in 2019 to 28,550,608 in 2020, a remarkable 6,000 percent increase. In total, the number of health centers offering virtual visits grew from 592 in 2019 to 1,362 in 2022, an increase of 130 percent. These new awards will enable health centers to sustain an expanded level of virtual care and identify and implement new digital strategies.”
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was quoted in the release saying that “Virtual care has been a game-changer for patients, especially during the pandemic. This funding will help health centers leverage the latest technology and innovations to expand access to quality primary care for underserved communities. Today’s announcement reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing health equity and putting essential healthcare within reach for all Americans.”
That said, “The more than 1,400 HRSA-supported health centers in this country serve as a national source of primary care for our at-risk communities. They are community-based and patient-directed organizations that deliver affordable, accessible, and high-quality medical, dental, and behavioral health services to nearly 29 million patients each year. As of late January, overall health centers have delivered over 19.2 million vaccine doses, with 68 percent going to racial or ethnic minority patients. More than 90 percent of health center patients are individuals or families living at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (about $55,000 per year for a family of four in most states) and approximately 62 percent are racial/ethnic minorities.”
Just last week, we reported that HHS, through the HRSA, announced it is providing $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to eight grantees to expand outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and vaccinations.
