Public and private skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) should soon be able to provide more and better telemedical services after the Senate gave final congressional approval to the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., amends the federal Communications Act to permit those facilities to apply for support from the FCC-managed Universal Service Fund (USF). A USF program, the Rural Health Care Program (RHCP), provides funding for telecommunications and broadband services used to provide health care in rural communities. The Communications Act specifies which types of health care providers are eligible to receive RHCP support, and SNFs are currently not included.
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Agri-Pulse