DA 18-1088 Released: October 24, 2018 CONNECTED CARE PILOT PROGRAM CONFERENCE CALL Conference call will be held at 2:00 Eastern Time on November 1, 2018 By this Public Notice, the Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP) and the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division (TAPD) announce an upcoming conference call for Tribal governments on the Commission’s inquiry concerning a telehealth pilot program. On August 3, 2018 the Federal Communications Commission released a Notice of Inquiry (“Notice”) seeking comment on creating an experimental “Connected Care Pilot Program” to support the delivery of telehealth services to low-income Americans through universal service fund support. Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers, Notice of Inquiry, WC Docket No. 18-213, FCC 18-112 (2018). The focus of the experimental program would be on the delivery of such services to patients beyond the doors of brick-and-mortar health care facilities. The Notice proposes a pilot program budget of up to $100 million and seeks comment on the goals, structure (including the application process, the budget, the number and types of projects, eligible health care providers and patients, and types of services that should be supported – e.g., fixed and mobile broadband), as well as methods for measuring the effectiveness of the pilot program. The Notice raises a number of questions with respect to eligibility requirements for broadband service providers to participate in the program as well as questions concerning eligible health care providers and patients. These include whether the pilot program should: · be limited to broadband providers that are facilities-based eligible telecommunications providers (ETCs); · be limited to health care providers that predominantly serve low-income populations (e.g., Medicaid patients or veterans receiving cost-free medical care based on income); · prioritize providers in rural areas; · include at least one partnership involving clinics or hospitals located on Tribal lands; and · limit use of pilot program funds to Medicaid patients and veterans who qualify based on income for cost-free health care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. On November 1st at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the Commission will host a national conference call open to all Tribal governments, members and organizations to provide an overview of and answer questions about the Notice of Inquiry. Although the comment period on the Notice of Inquiry ended on October 10, the administrative record remains open and interested parties can still provide input through ex parte submissions, such as filing an ex parte presentation. For more information about the conference call, or help with ex parte submissions, please contact Janet Sievert at 202.418.1362 (voice), or janet.sievert@fcc.gov. Interested parties may register for the conference call by sending their name, title, Tribal affiliation and contact information to TelehealthNOI@fcc.gov. Participants may join the conference call by dialing 1-888-858-2144, and entering access code: 4675294 The original Notice of Inquiry can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-comment-launching-connected-care-pilot-program. Accessible Formats To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). Additional Information For additional information, please contact Janet Sievert, Legal Advisor, Office of Native Affairs and Policy, (202) 428-1362 (voice) or janet.sievert@fcc.gov. - FCC - 2