COVID-19 Portable Equipment
Portable equipment (such as a portable x-ray machine) used to prevent patients from being moved throughout a facility. To be allowable, all portable equipment must be part of a hospital's larger COVID-19 mitigation plan.
![Covid allowable](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2023-01/ship-invest-covid-allowable.png?itok=DMGLikEZ)
Portable equipment (such as a portable x-ray machine) used to prevent patients from being moved throughout a facility. To be allowable, all portable equipment must be part of a hospital's larger COVID-19 mitigation plan.
Costs associated with the purchase, maintenance, or operation of proximity badge systems to prevent hospital traffic and limit exposure to COVID-19.
Alterations and renovations that do not qualify as construction to update laboratories or other key spaces for safer and more efficient COVID-19 testing.
Sanitation and cleaning equipment (including disinfectant robots) to be used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Also includes ultraviolet sanitation devices.
Cost of paying screeners placed at facility entrance doors to protect patients and employees and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Costs for testing using a simultaneous multi-disease test that must include COVID-19
Costs associated with increasing staff salaries, recruitment or retention bonuses, incentives, or benefits (such as hazard pay, employee childcare, housing allowances, travel allowance, meals, snacks, or other incentive benefits) recruitment, retention, bonuses, incentives, or benefits such as hazard pay, employee childcare, housing allowances, travel allowances (not associated with COVID-19 courier services), meals, snacks, or other incentive benefits. See Screening Staff, Testing Staff, Courier Staff, or Travel Nurse for more information.
Alterations and renovations that do not qualify as construction to update surfaces to more sanitary materials to mitigate COVID-19
Upgrading or expanding for telemetry equipment as part of a larger COVID-19 mitigation strategy.
Temperature screening systems to be used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. See COVID-19 Screening Staff as well.
Installing tents, sheds, or other temporary structures to use for COVID-19 testing or mitigation activities.
Costs for testing, including procuring, providing, or processing COVID-19 tests (including at-home testing kits).
Costs associated with staff time spent on COVID-19 testing.
Vaccine purchases, dissemination (including boosters) of vaccinations, or supplies associated with COVID-19 vaccination (considered direct patient care).
Costs associated with the purchase, maintenance, or operation of any hospital vehicle require pre-approval.
Costs associated with purchasing, maintaining, or operating ventilators or other similar equipment which allows for respiratory assistance.
Credentialing is defined as proving a skill or level of operation to provide evidence of authority, status, rights, entitlement or privileges, or the like. Credentialing and associated costs, such as renewing physician credentials for patient admittance, is an unallowable expense.
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.
Direct patient care occurs when a facility, its providers, or staff, provide services (directly or indirectly) to diagnose, stabilize, treat, repair, maintain, or improve the health of a patient regardless of patient status (inpatient, outpatient, swing bed, SNF, etc.) or location (med/surgical, emergency room, waiting room, ambulatory, etc.,), and is an unallowable expense.
Example: Telehealth implementation is an approved SHIP expenditure. Purchasing software and training that will enable staff to receive readings from a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff is allowable under telehealth implementation, but the blood pressure cuff itself is unallowable. Training on how to use the blood pressure cuff on the patient is unallowable.
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.
Equipment is defined as a one-time purchase product used to perform or support a task.
Patient Equipment: Fixed or mobile product to be used directly by a patient (for treatment or comfort) such as a whiteboard, Wi-Fi router, wheelchairs, or beds. This is an unallowable expense.
Medical Equipment: Fixed or mobile product to be used to diagnose, treat, and maintain a patient's health and wellbeing, whether in person or remotely via computer software. This is an unallowable expense.
Telehealth Equipment (Computer Hardware): Fixed or mobile products to support the integration and adoption of telehealth services within a facility. This is an allowable expense. See also: Hardware.
Training Equipment: Fixed or mobile products that will be used solely to support SHIP-approved training, such as a training crash cart. This is an allowable expense.
Office equipment: Fixed, mobile, or electronic equipment used solely to support day-to-day office operations. This is an unallowable expense.
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.
Updated January 2023
Event management software, hardware, or reporting that is completed to manage attendees, staff, or volunteers and event operations is not an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Updated January 2023
Fees and fines accrued in association with a service provided to the hospital, regardless of the SHIP-approval status, are not to be paid with SHIP funds.
Examples of unallowable fees include but are not limited to:
Bank Service Fees | Library Fees | Penalty Fees |
Insurance Fees | Building Fines | Violation Fines |
Note that some costs are referred to as "fees" and may be allowable (like ACO Fees), fees in this context are subsidiary costs, the recurring cost for use of services, or lack thereof.
Furniture is defined as a one-time purchase product that is either fixed or moveable and required for the operation of an office, clinic, patient room, patient waiting room, or other facility space such as tables, chairs, stands, decorations, pictures, rugs, or curtains. Furniture expenses are unallowable.
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.
Hardware is defined as technology-based durable equipment as a one-time purchase to support a SHIP-approved category and is an allowable expense.
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.
Updated January 2023
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys completed for inpatient services are an allowable use of SHIP funds.
NOTE: Currently, HCAHPS is the only allowable SHIP survey. Costs associated with conducting surveys and assessments (including overhead, fees, payments, contractors, etc.) are unallowable. This category is consistently under review, and we encourage SHIP Coordinators to email SHIP-TA@ruralcenter.org and copy your PO with questions or concerns.
Updated September 2023
Activities that support ICD-11 readiness and/or implementation are allowable. This includes, but is not limited to:
Computer software upgrades to support a future transition to ICD-11 | Computer hardware that improves quality, efficiencies, and/or coding | Social Drivers of Health and Population Health training to use Z-Codes |
Efficiency or QI training to minimize ICD-11 transition impacts on patients and staff | Revenue Cycle Management training | Updating ICD-10 software or hardware |
ICD-11 system and/or coding training (individual hospitals or state-wide) | ICD-11 Implementation |
Note: This category is consistently under review, and we encourage SHIP Coordinators to email SHIP-TA@ruralcenter.org and copy your PO with questions or concerns.
See also: Subscription, Recurring Payment, Training (Hardware/Software/Services)