On March 31, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a $200 million telehealth program to implement the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support healthcare providers responding to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Through the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, the FCC will help healthcare providers purchase telecommunications, broadband connectivity, and devices necessary for providing telehealth services. Funding applications from healthcare providers will be processed on a rolling basis. Funding will be available until exhausted or until the current pandemic ends.
The FCC also adopted final rules to stand up a Connected Care Pilot Program. This separate three-year Pilot Program will provide up to $100 million of support from the Universal Service Fund (USF) to help defray health care providers’ costs of providing connected care services and to help assess how the USF can be used in the long-term to support telehealth.
Report and Order:
Press Release:
General information is available at Keep Americans Connected. For further information, please contact the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division at (202) 418-7400. For questions about the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, please contact EmergencyTelehealthSupport@fcc.gov, and for questions about the Connected Care Pilot Program, please contact ConnCarePltProg@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone).