More than 13,460 South Dakotans Could Benefit from Expanded Access to Telemedicine
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the South Dakota Department of Social Services an initial $2 million to address disparities in health equity by improving access to quality health care in rural communities.
These funds will help determine whether the South Dakota Department of Social Services would maintain or improve quality of care and lower health care costs by improving access to specialty health care; increasing the number of services and providers available via telemedicine; and providing access to adequate transportation to appointments. South Dakota’s Department of Social Services seeks to expand telemedicine to more than 13,460 South Dakotans with Medicare including tribal communities. In addition, working with South Dakota Medicaid as the lead organization, the South Dakota Department of Social Services will look to offer education and training on self-management and self-reporting for those with chronic conditions.
This award is part of the CMS Innovation Center’s Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. As an award recipient, the State of South Dakota Department of Social Services can receive as much as $5 million, with $2 million being given during the initial pre-implementation phase and as much as $3 million upon completion of milestones over the course of six performance periods.
The CHART Model invests in rural areas by offering technical assistance and support as they implement care delivery reforms to serve their populations. This can include modernizing infrastructure and using technology to eliminate traditional barriers to care, like distance to specialists or transportation issues. Within the supportive framework of the CHART Model, for example, award recipients can expand telehealth to make it easier for people in rural areas to receive care.
For more information on the CHART Model, visit: https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/chart-model.
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