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.

These links filter the list of investments using an is one of operator. The items in the list will match at least one of the selected keywords (selecting multiple keywords increases the number of results). Selected keywords are bold and preceded by a minus sign (-). Click the links to select or deselect keywords.
Transferring Unused SHIP Funds to Another Participating Hospital
Unallowable

Unused SHIP funds cannot be transferred to another participating hospital.

Provider-Based Clinic Quality Measures Education/Training
Allowable
Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Investment

Education/training for provider-based rural health clinic quality improvement reporting, including patient satisfaction survey scores, is allowable.

Related Resources
340B Drug Pricing Program Training
Allowable
Payment Bundling (PB)

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.

Voice Recognition System for Dictation
Allowable
Payment Bundling (PB)

Voice recognition system for dictation to support increased quality, efficiency, and/or coding is an allowable use of SHIP funds.

Related Resources
Remote Pharmacy Machines
Allowable
Accountable Care Organization (ACO)

Types of Remote pharmacy machines are an allowable SHIP hardware purchase for pharmacy services.

NOTE: Pharmacist services or medications are not allowable. 

Related Resources
Software Apps for Afterhours Pharmacy Services
Allowable
Accountable Care Organization (ACO)

After hours pharmacy services software apps that help support remote pharmacy services are an allowable use of SHIP funds. 

Note: Pharmacist services or medications are not allowable

Tablets/iPads for In House Patient Care Surveys
Unallowable

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.

HCAHPS Surveys
Allowable
Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Investment

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys completed for inpatient services are an allowable use of SHIP funds.

Related Resources
Minor Alterations or Renovations (A/R) (for COVID-19)
PO Pre-Approval
SHIP ARP COVID-19 Testing & Mitigation

Minor alterations or renovations that exceed 50% of the hospital's total American Rescue Plan (ARP) award.

Still looking?
Contact us at ship-ta@ruralcenter.org if you can't find your proposed investment activity in this list.

This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB1RH24206, Information Services to Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Grantees, $1,560,000 (0% financed with nongovernmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.