This legislation requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop and test a new model aimed at enhancing access to specialty health services. This model, known as the Specialty Health Care Services Access Model, will specifically target Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries residing in rural or underserved areas. Its primary mechanism involves delivering specialty care through digital modalities , such as telehealth and other remote technologies, in close coordination with the beneficiaries' primary care providers. To implement this model, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will enter into agreements with selected provider networks. These networks must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) entities with a proven track record of supporting healthcare in rural and underserved communities across multiple regions. Each selected network must comprise at least 50 Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, or rural emergency hospitals, with at least half of these facilities located in rural areas. Furthermore, these networks must demonstrate the capability to collect, exchange, and evaluate data relevant to the model's effectiveness.
This legislation requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop and test a new model aimed at enhancing access to specialty health services. This model, known as the Specialty Health Care Services Access Model, will specifically target Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries residing in rural or underserved areas. Its primary mechanism involves delivering specialty care through digital modalities , such as telehealth and other remote technologies, in close coordination with the beneficiaries' primary care providers. To implement this model, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will enter into agreements with selected provider networks. These networks must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) entities with a proven track record of supporting healthcare in rural and underserved communities across multiple regions. Each selected network must comprise at least 50 Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, critical access hospitals, or rural emergency hospitals, with at least half of these facilities located in rural areas. Furthermore, these networks must demonstrate the capability to collect, exchange, and evaluate data relevant to the model's effectiveness.