Issue Brief 09-08 ARRA Continues Health Centers Expansion, March 11, 2009

February 12, 2010: HHS Awards Grants to Support Health Information Technology (HIT), Job Training HHS announced the award of ARRA grants totaling $975 million for HIT related initiatives, including the use of electronic health records and training workers for health care jobs. The listing of awards to states and non-profit organizations is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/02/20100212a.html

February 5, 2010: HHS Awards $119 Million to States for Prevention and Wellness Initiatives HHS awarded ARRA funds to states and territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking. More information is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/

To view the awards by state, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/docs/State_prevention_and_wellness_ARRA_awards_fact_sheet.pdf

December 30, 2009: CMS Proposes Requirements for EHR Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Payment Programs The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule to implement the provisions of ARRA that provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs that adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The rule includes a 60-day comment period. To view the proposed rule, see: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-31217_PI.pdf

The following fact sheet summarizes the provisions in the proposed rule affecting state Medicaid programs and Medicaid providers: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3562&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=
1&numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType
=6&intPage=&showAll=&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

The following fact sheet summarizes CMS's proposed definition of meaningful use: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3564&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=
1&numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType
=6&intPage=&showAll=&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

December 18, 2009: HHS Announces $60 Million for Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to make $60 million available to support SHARP projects, which focuses on the following areas: security of health information technology, patient-centered cognitive support, health care application and network platform architectures, secondary use of electronic health record data. Authorized by ARRA, these cooperative agreements are part of a series of grants to help strengthen and support the use of health information technology. Applications are due on January 25, 2010, with awards anticipated in March 2010. Additional information is available at: http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1436&mode=2

December 16, 2009: HHS Announces $27 Million in ARRA Funds to Help Older Individuals Fight Chronic Disease HHS announced the availability of $27 million to help older individuals with chronic conditions improve their health and reduce their use of costly medical care. States and territories are eligible for this competitive grant opportunity. The application deadline is February 12, 2010. For more details, see: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/12/20091216a.html

December 9, 2009: Administration Releases Almost $600 Million in ARRA Funds for Community Health Centers The administration announced the release of nearly $600 million in ARRA funding to support capital improvement projects at community health centers (CHC) and to help CHCs adopt health information technology systems. Of the total, $509 million is for the Facility Investment Program and $88 million is for Health Center Controlled Networks. For a list of awards, go to:
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/recovery_health_cntr_awards.html

December 8, 2009: HRSA to Hold Technical Assistance Call on Health Centers The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will hold a technical assistance call on ARRA Health Centers Section 1512 reporting for the January 2010 submission. Details on the call are available below: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/recovery/hcqr/

HHS Announces Plans for Beacon Community Program The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to make available $235 million from health information technology funds included in ARRA to support an innovative Beacon Community Program. The program will provide grants to build and strengthen health IT infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities within 15 communities. Awards will be made to 15 non-profit or government entities representing geographic health care communities. For more information on the program, including the funding announcement, go to:
http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1422&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=102&mode=2&in_hi_userid=11113&cached=true

December 1, 2009: Updated Health Center Quarterly Reporting Manual The Health Resources and Services Administration updated its Health Center Quarterly Reporting Manual. To view the manual, go to: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/recovery/hcqr/

November 24, 2009: HHS Plans to Make $80 Million Available to Support Health IT Workforce HHS announced that it will make available $70 million for community college training programs and $10 million to develop educational materials to support these programs. Both grant opportunities are aimed at addressing the need for skilled health information technology professionals. To view the press release and access the grant application, go to: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/11/20091124a.html

November 23, 2009: HHS Awards Health IT Funds to First State HHS announced that Iowa's Medicaid program is the first to receive federal matching funds for planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by ARRA. Iowa will receive approximately $1.16 million in federal matching funds. Additional information on implementation of the Medicaid-related provisions of the Recovery Acts EHR incentive payment program may be found at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp#TopOfPage

November 17, 2009: ARRA Faculty Loan Repayment Funds Awarded HHS announced $1.2 million to help health professions faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds repay their student loans. These funds are part of the $500 million in ARRA to address workforce shortages. For amounts by state, go to:
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/flrprelease.htm

November 10, 2009: ARRA Funding to Improve Care in Ambulatory Surgical Centers HHS announced the availability of up to $9 million in ARRA funding for state survey agencies targeted at reducing health care-associated infections (HAIs) in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). Additional information is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/11/20091110a.html

October 1, 2009: HHS Announces Awards for Health Care Recruitment HHS announced 63 awards totaling more than $7.6 million to help states recruit new health care clinicians and alleviate their debt burden. The funds are part of the $500 million included in ARRA to address workforce shortages and encourage diversity in the health professions. A list of grants by state is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090930c.html

September 29, 2009: HHS Releases ARRA Funds to Health Centers HHS released $27.8 million in ARRA funds to health centers to expand the use of health information technology (HIT). These funds are part of the $2 billion in ARRA to expand health centers. For a list of grant recipients, see:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090929a.html

September 29, 2009: HHS Releases Funds for Prevention, Wellness Programs HHS announced the release of $120 million in cooperative agreements approved as part of ARRA for prevention and wellness programs for states and territories. The cooperative agreements will be awarded to states and territories for three components: statewide policy and environmental change, tobacco cessation through quit lines and media campaigns, and special initiatives to create health-promoting policies and environments. The application deadline is November 24, 2009. For more information, see: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090929b.html

September 17, 2009: Funding for Prevention and Wellness HHS announced that $650 million in funding included in ARRA would be used to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, decrease obesity, and decrease smoking in U.S. communities. HHS released information on a funding opportunity for communities and tribes to apply for $373 million in cooperative agreements for the comprehensive public health initiative, Communities Putting Prevention to Work, to be led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090917a.html

September 11, 2009: Additional Training Funds for Health Professions HHS announced an additional $33 million in ARRA funds to train health professions. These funds are part of the $500 million to address workforce shortages under ARRA. The press release and awards by state are available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/09/20090911b.html

September 1, 2009: HIT Provisions The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a State Medicaid Director Letter on the Health Information Technology (HIT) provisions in ARRA. ARRA allows for 100% federal financial participation (FFP) for state expenditures for Medicaid provider incentive payments to encourage electronic health record (EHR) technologyand for demonstrating meaningful use. According to the letter, upon receipt, states may immediately request the 90% FFP match for administrative planning activities. The letter also advises states to immediately contact their CMS regional office for further guidance and maintain ongoing communication while initiating planning activities. The guidance statesthat planning activities are for the purposes of administering the incentive payments to providers, ensuring their proper payments, auditing and monitoring of such payments, and participating in statewide efforts to promote interoperability and meaningful use of EHRs. CMS indicated the agency is developing rulemaking that will provide more detailed instruction on provider eligibility and rules for participation. The proposed rulemaking is expected by the end of this year. The letter is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SMDL/SMD/itemdetail.asp?filterType=none&filterByDID=0&sortByDID=1&sortOrder=descending&itemID=CMS1228276&intNumPerPage=1

August 2009: HAI Prevention Funding ARRA included $50 million to support states in the prevention and reduction of health care-associated infections (HAI). Recovery.gov recently posted a website on this initiative: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/recoveryact/

August 20, 2009: HHS Announces HITECH Grants HHS announced the first two HITECH priority grant programs. Specifically, $564 million is being made available under the State Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program and $598 million through the Health Information Technology Extension
Program. The grant announcement and program fact sheets are available at: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/hitech/index.html

August 19, 2009: HIPAA Update HHS released interim final regulations requiring health care providers, health plans, and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their health information is breached. These regulationsimplement provisions of ARRA. The rule and additional information are available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/breachnotificationifr.html

August 12, 2009: Loan Repayments to Nurses HHS announced $8.1 million for loan repayments to nurses who agree to practice in facilities with critical shortages and $5.3 million for schools of nursing to provide loans to students who will become nurse faculty.
Press Release: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/08/20090812a.html

For a list of institutions receiving awards:
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/nflp_arra.htm
http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/nelrprecips.htm

August 12, 2009: NIH Grants A list of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants funded by ARRA for each state is available at: http://report.nih.gov/recovery/arragrants.cfm

August 12, 2009: CMS FAQ Website The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now has a frequently asked questions website for ARRA Health IT:
https://questions.cms.hhs.gov/cgi-bin/cmshhs.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_pv=3.1058&p_prods=21%2C26%2C1058

July 30, 2009: ARRA Funding for Ambulatory Surgical Centers HHS announced that 12 states would receive $572,250 in ARRA funding to survey more than 125 ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) to ensure that the facilities are following Medicare's health and safety standards. A list of awards and additional information is available by clicking here.

July 28, 2009: ARRA Funds Available for Health Professions Training HHS announced the availability of $200 million in ARRA funds to expand health professions training programs. The funds will be directed to several programs and awarded on a competitive basis. Additional information is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/07/20090728c.html and http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/recovery/ 

June 16, 2009: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released the preliminary definition of meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). ARRA included incentive payments for eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers to increase the adoption of EHRs. To receive the incentive payments, providers must demonstrate "meaningful use" of a certified EHR. The public comment period on the preliminary definition of meaningful use is open through close of business Friday, June 26, 2009. Instructions on how to submit public comment can be found at: http://healthit.hhs.gov.

Additional information on the Health Information Technology component of ARRA, including a fact sheet and question and answer document is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp#TopOfPage.

June 5, 2009: Loan Repayments Funds for Clinicians HHS announced the availability of $200 million in ARRA funds to support student loan repayments for primary care medical, dental, and mental health clinicians who want to work at National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites. In exchange for the loan repayments, clinicians serve for two years with the Corps. Primary care practitioners interested in applying for loan repayments should visit http://nhsc.hrsa.gov.

To see a list of opportunities available by state, go to
http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/nhsc/vacancies.html

April 17, 2009: Patient Privacy Guidance HHS published guidance regarding technologies and methodologies to secure health information and protect patient privacy. The guidance, required by ARRA, builds on the existing requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. The guidance is available at:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/.

Program Information and Allocations for Section 317 Immunization Grants http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cdc/immunizationgrant.html

Program Information and Allocations for Community Heath Centers http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/hrsa/healthcentergrants.html

DSH Allotments HHS Announces FY 2009 DSH Allotments, including ARRA funds: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/cms/dshstates.html

NIH Grants The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the availability of $1.5 billion in grants funded by ARRA. The grants provide $1 billion for construction and improvement of research facilities, $200 million for scientific research and $300 million for the purchase of scientific equipment. More information and grant applications are available at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery.

Indian Health The Indian Health Service will release $500 million in ARRA funds allocated for improvements in Indian health. Funds will be used for health facilities construction and maintenance, equipment and health information technology. http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/ihs/fundingdescription.html