Subscription (Definition)
Definition
Accountable Care Organization (ACO)
Payment Bundling (PB)/Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Investment
Updated February 2025
A subscription is defined as an arrangement to continually receive services for a preset price. Subscription services solely in support of SHIP-approved categories such as ICD software are allowable.
Generally, subscriptions for software are allowable. See the table below or email SHIP-TA@ruralcenter.org and copy your PO with questions or concerns.
Please note that subscriptions to ongoing or on-demand training (at-will training) are unallowable expenses. Subscriptions that "happen to include" a SHIP-approved expenditure should be avoided. Subscriptions must be purchased and used for the SHIP-approved category.
Examples of allowable expenses include but are not limited to:
| SHIP Quality Reporting (inc. MBQIP core measures) | HCAHPS | Quality Improvement Training |
| Telehealth Software/Platforms (Excluding Provider Fees) | Disease Registries | Population Health Databases |
| ACO Subscriptions or Fees | ICD-10/11 Software Subscriptions | Cybersecurity and/or IT security software |
| HIPAA Compliance | Interoperability software | Provider Databases for Care Coordination |
| Data Collection (e.g. intake software or SDOH screening for Quality Improvement and/or Care Coordination) | EMR/EHR | Price Transparency software |
| S-10 Cost Reporting software | HIPAA-compliant web and video conferencing platforms exclusively for telehealth |
Note: A common example is ICD Software. Whereas a hospital purchased one program that could be downloaded to multiple computers (or server accessed), many ICD companies have now moved to cloud-based subscription services where the hospital pays a "per user" license. This specific example would be allowable under "Payment Bundling, A: ICD-10 Software."
This card is a definition to help users understand the application of SHIP spending categories and expenses. Definitions found in the SHIP Allowable Investment Search Tool may not be the same as the Federal Government's (or departments within) definition.
