DECEMBER 2020 EDITION
Telehealth Summit Recordings Available
The Virtual Telehealth Summit recordings and presentations are available on the platform.
Login the platform using your same email address and password you used during the Summit.
If you need assistance, contact Davia Smith.

Summit Highlights
Keynote Speaker: Anton Gunn
Like STEEL in the Hour of Chaos:
Power of Telehealth and Leadership in the Age of Pandemics and Social Unrest
New! Broadband Bytes and Telehealth Tidbits
Don't miss Broadband Bytes and Telehealth Tidbits (brief updates and announcements)
in our newsletter and on social media.
Don't Miss Up to 65% Savings!
Palmetto Care Connections can eligible entities save up to 65% on broadband and telecom circuits along with supporting infrastructure.

Filing Deadline: April 1, 2021
Contact Matt Hiatt for more information.
Tim Scott joins bipartisan group urging permanent Medicare Telehealth expansion
Sen. Tim Scott has joined a bipartisan group that’s urging the congressional leadership to to make permanent the expanded use of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Telehealth Policy Update
December 2020 Telehealth Policy and Regulatory Update
-Scott Moody, MHA

CMS released the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule on December 1, 2020. The 2,165-page final rule adds more than 60 services to the Medicare telehealth list. These services will be covered even after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.


In the News
Telehealth Expands Treatment Options in Rural Areas

-Statehouse Report

"Sometime in 2016, Charleston doctor Constance Guille was looking at the effect of the national opioid epidemic on the people she knew best — pregnant women — and wondering how to help them."

Medicare Extends COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage in Diabetes Prevention Programs

-Eric Wicklund

"As part of the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule, Medicare will continue to reimburse Diabetes Prevention Program providers who use certain telehealth services – but only for the duration of the public health emergency.

December 02, 2020 – Healthcare providers who use telehealth in their Diabetes Prevention Programs will continue to be reimbursed."

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FCC Awards $121 Million in Rural Broadband Funding

-Riley Bean (WIS News)

"Senator Lindsey Graham’s office says the FCC has awarded the state of South Carolina $121 million in rural broadband funding for over 100,000 unserved homes and businesses.A statement made by the senator’s office said Graham introduced the Governors’ Broadband Development Fund with Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia). Graham says the initiative was designed to support deployment of advanced technologies in areas where there is greatest need."

17,000 More Pee Dee Residents to Receive Broadband Access

-SCNOW

"More than 17,000 homes and businesses in the Pee Dee could soon have a faster connection to the worldwide web. The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday that it had allocated over $121 million in support funds for 10 years to broadband providers to expand broadband access to more than 108,833 South Carolina residents through a Rural Digital Fund Phase 1 option."

Digital Economy Ecosystems

"The SC Office of Rural Health (SCORH), together with the SC Rural Innovation Network (SCRIN), has begun work to develop a Digital Economy Ecosystem in two rural communities – Barnwell and Williamsburg counties.

A Digital Economy Ecosystem will feature technical education, job training, and community planning to foster technology-based entrepreneurship and remote work opportunities in these rural communities. A successful Digital Economy Ecosystem will create quality jobs and build wealth in the local community."

Submitted by SC Office of Rural Health
Upcoming Events
SC COVID-19
Virtual Grand Rounds Series
December 15, 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

The Infectious Diseases Division of Prisma Health Medical Group invites you to attend the SC COVID-19 Virtual Grand Rounds Series. This educational activity is free of charge and offers Continuing Education credits (CEU)