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.
Costs or fees associated with a physician-waiver to prescribe and dispense Buprenorphine do not qualify as a SHIP allowable investment.
Providers may apply for a waiver with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Become a Buprenorphine Waivered Practitioner since this has an opioid component. This process is free of charge; therefore, SHIP funds should be applied to other activities.
Education/training for provider-based rural health clinic quality improvement reporting, including patient satisfaction survey scores, is allowable.
Any training to support coding and reimbursement, documentation, or documentation improvements that result in increased coding compliance are allowable.
Billing and Coding training for employees working in an RHC and/or provider-based primary care clinics are allowable if the practices are owned by a critical access hospital (CAH).
Voice recognition system for dictation to support increased quality, efficiency, and/or coding is an allowable use of SHIP funds.
IT software and hardware SHIP infrastructure for a wellness streaming services as a population health project is an allowable use of SHIP funds.
Costs for testing, including procuring, providing, or processing COVID-19 tests (including at-home testing kits).