HHS doles out $16.3M in telehealth funding for Title X family planning program

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) doled out $16.3 million in new grant funding to help support an expansion of telehealth for Title X family planning clinics. 

The new funding announcement, released Monday, comes as the healthcare industry is trying to figure out how to continue momentum for telehealth use after an explosion of use during the pandemic.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, family planning clinics have already augmented the use of telehealth,” said Admiral Rachel Levine, HHS’ assistant secretary for health, in a statement. “These awards will help programs accelerate telehealth even more across the communities receiving awards.”

The funding, passed as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will go toward 31 stakeholders that will help improve telehealth capacity across family planning clinics in 26 states, HHS said in a release. 

The funding will run for a 12-month period and is part of a larger goal by the Biden administration to improve maternal health and the family planning safety net.

It also comes roughly a week after Politico reported a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that overturns Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The draft opinion could still change, but HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the funding can help ensure equitable access to care. 

“Across the nation we are seeing attacks on sexual and reproductive healthcare services, and through these funds and other HHS efforts we can ensure that we’re able to provide this care that so many across the country need,” he said in a release.

The push to expand telehealth comes after several regulatory flexibilities offered at the onset of the pandemic made it easier for providers to get Medicare reimbursement for the service. These flexibilities include reimbursement for audio-only telehealth appointments and removing originating site requirements.

But the future of such flexibilities remains in flux. The changes only last through the COVID-19 public health emergency, which was extended again into July.

It is widely expected that the PHE will end sometime this year. Biden administration officials have said they will need some help from Congress to make all the flexibilities permanent.