Allowable Investments Search Tool
In general, SHIP allowable investments include activities to assist small rural hospitals with their quality improvement efforts and with their adaptation to changing payment systems through investments in hardware, software and related trainings. This includes aiding with value and quality improvement.
Unallowable investments include, but are not limited to, travel costs, hospital services, hospital staff salaries, or general supplies. Hospitals should contact their State Office of Rural Health (SORH) with questions regarding the appropriateness or fit of a certain activity or hardware/software purchase. For additional clarifications, refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
This tool classifies a number of example investment activities as Allowable, Unallowable, or PO Pre-Approval. This is not a comprehensive list. It is only intended to provide examples of allowable SHIP activities.
Supplies and equipment for patient rooms such as telephone, TV, and speakers, to improve satisfaction (HCAHPS) scores, do not qualify as a SHIP allowable investment.
Blood Pressure Cuffs/Oxygen Monitors are supplies and not an allowable use of SHIP funds nor aligned with the purpose of SHIP funds.
Printers and/or printing supplies and hardware that are not explicitly being used to promote remote services are not an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Refrigerators used to keep and store medicines or medical supplies are not an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Education/training for provider-based rural health clinic quality improvement reporting, including patient satisfaction survey scores, is allowable.
Any training that updates and computerizes hospital policies and procedures, assessment and maintenance of ICD-10, and hardware/software investments that improve quality, efficiencies, and coding are allowable investments.
Any training to support coding and reimbursement, documentation, or documentation improvements that result in increased coding compliance are allowable.
A 340B Drug Pricing Program training intended to increase efficiency or quality improvement in support of Prospective Bundling and Prospective Payment Systems initiatives is an allowable investment.
Mobile language line workstations, iPads, and tablets can potentially be allowable SHIP investments if used by hospital staff to support operational efficiency and increase equitable patient satisfaction.
Note: These investments require Project Officer pre-approval. If a hospital is interested in this investment, the State SHIP coordinator should email their project officer with justification of how these services will support operational efficiency and increase equitable patient satisfaction.
iPads/Tablets to be used for patient care surveys are not an allowable use of SHIP funds. In general, iPads and tablets to be used by patients and non-hospital staff are unallowable.