Carr Congratulates Health Care Heroes Approved For FCC Telehealth Funding

FCC Has Now Approved Applications For Full $200 Million Appropriated By Congress

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2020—Today, the FCC approved the applications of 25 additional health care providers for funding through the FCC’s Emergency COVID-19 Telehealth Program.  This latest and fourteenth round of funding decisions commits just over $10 million, which brings the total amount of funding committed by the FCC to the $200 million maximum appropriated by Congress.  The FCC fast-tracked this new program just days after Congress passed the CARES Act by building on the telehealth initiative that Commissioner Carr has been leading at the FCC since 2018. 

 “The FCC has moved with unprecedented speed to support the nation’s response to COVID-19,” Commissioner Carr stated.  “The agency’s work to assist America’s health care heroes through the Emergency COVID-19 Telehealth Program has been an important part of that work.  We stood this program up within days of Congress passing the CARES Act and appropriating the funding for this initiative.  We were able to move quickly because we built on the telehealth work the FCC started in 2018.  That’s when we first sought comment on expanding the FCC’s telehealth programs to support the delivery of high-quality care outside the confines of brick-and-mortar facilities.  Back then, we had no idea how important providing care at a distance would be in today’s pandemic.  But our work to support this new trend in telehealth towards connected care has helped to bolster our nation’s response to COVID-19.

“Since March, the FCC has approved $200 million in support through this program to 539 health care providers located in communities throughout the country.  I have had the chance to visit with many of these health care providers, including last week in Reno, Nevada.  I am pleased that the FCC’s initiative supports their response to COVID-19 and allows them to treat patients with a range of health care conditions.

“Telehealth is proving its value during this COVID-19 pandemic, and I expect that the momentum for delivering care directly to patients outside the confines of brick-and-mortar facilities will continue to build well after this pandemic.  The FCC will continue to play its part in supporting this new trend in telehealth, including through a $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program, which will open for applications later this year.  I look forward to working with all stakeholders as we stand up that program.
“I also want to express my gratitude to the dedicated FCC staff that worked hard on processing and approving these funding requests,” Carr added.
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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr