Assisted living communities and other long-term care providers now can access $5 million in funding to install telemedicine technology and infrastructure after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) signed a bill allocating federal pandemic aid to the cause.
SB 209 allocates $5 million of the state’s remaining $130 million in 2021 American Rescue Plan Act funding toward telemedicine technology in the state’s assisted living communities and nursing homes. South Dakota received $974 million in federal funding through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. All of the money must be appropriated by the end of this year and spent by the end of 2026.
The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations and the South Dakota Health Care Association previously told McKnight’s Senior Living that they supported the bill. SDAHO advocated for an investment in technology to help providers address the industry’s workforce crisis and to increase access to clinical services, particularly in rural areas where access is often impeded by unreliable internet access.
The industry also said the bill could be a tool for discussions on how to best use the funding to develop telemedicine and other technology services to deliver care to long-term care residents. Telehealth services, the experts said, could provide timely access to geriatric specialists in the wake of “daunting” staffing challenges in the long-term care industry.
The bill was one of several seeking the state’s remaining ARPA dollars. Other bills that were approved were for water and sewer infrastructure projects.
The bill’s provisions go into effect June 30.
The South Dakota Department of Health previously invested $20 million in improvements to emergency medical services across the state, with much of the funding going toward telemedicine.
