Federal Communications Commission	DA 20-403



DA 20-403
Released:  April 10, 2020

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM APPLICATION PORTAL WILL OPEN MONDAY
Bureau Will Host a Webinar Presentation to Review Application Process 

WC Docket No. 20-89

By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announces it will begin to accept applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program beginning Monday, April 13, 2020 at 12:00 PM ET. The effective date of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and the COVID-19 Telehealth Program’s information collection requirements is April 9, 2020.  See Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers; COVID-19 Telehealth Program, 85 Fed. Reg. 19892 (Apr. 9, 2020). 
  The COVID-19 Telehealth Program will provide $200 million in funding, appropriated by Congress as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to help health care providers furnish connected care services to patients at their homes or mobile locations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Pub. L. No 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (2020).
  
On April 2, 2020, the Commission released a Report and Order establishing the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers; COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket Nos. 18-213, 20-89, Report and Order, FCC 20-44, paras. 15-29 (2020) (Report and Order).  
  The COVID-19 Telehealth Program will provide immediate support to eligible health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by fully funding their telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to provide critical connected care services.  
Applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program may be filed through a dedicated application portal, available on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program page: www.fcc.gov/covid19telehealth.  The Bureau will accept applications on a rolling basis and will select participants until all COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding has been committed or the current pandemic has ended.  
To assist applicants in preparing their applications. the Bureau will make available a webinar presentation on Monday, April 13, 2020 at 11:00 AM ET, which will be available on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program page: www.fcc.gov/covid19telehealth.  The presentation will assist interested parties in navigating the application portal and provide answers to frequently asked questions regarding the COVID-19 Telehealth Program’s application process.  The webinar will remain publicly available for viewing.
Additional Information.  For additional information, interested parties should review the Bureau’s Public Notice providing guidance on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program application process, released on April 8, 2020. See Wireline Competition Bureau Provides Guidance on the COVID-19 Telehealth Program Application Process, WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notice, DA 20-394 (WCB Apr. 8, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/guidance-covid-19-telehealth-program-application-process.
  Questions specific to the application process should be directed to EmergencyTelehealthSupport@fcc.gov.  For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Hayley Steffen, Attorney Advisor, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Hayley.Steffen@fcc.gov or at (202) 418-1586.

-FCC-



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