Media Contact:
Greg Watson, (202) 418-0658 
greg.watson@fcc.gov 
 
For Immediate Release

Carr Welcomes Update on Round 2 of FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program


WASHINGTON, DC, February 17, 2021—Today, FCC staff provided an update on the agency’s work to implement round two of the Commission’s successful COVID-19 Telehealth Program.  The Commission established this program last year just days after Congress appropriated $200 million in round one funding through the CARES Act.  In December 2020, Congress appropriated an additional $250 million in round two funding.  

Commissioner Carr has been leading the FCC’s efforts to develop telehealth initiatives that enable Americans to access high-quality care from their homes or anywhere outside the confines of a health care facility.  The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program builds off of those efforts.

“Over two years ago, we identified a new trend in telehealth,” Commissioner Carr stated.  “The delivery of high-quality care is no longer limited to the confines of traditional brick-and-mortar facilities.  With smartphones and other connected devices, Americans can now access health care services right from their homes or anywhere they have an Internet connection.  FCC staff have worked tirelessly to support this new trend in care, and the agency’s work to stand up the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program has been part of those efforts.  I am pleased that Congress has recognized the success of the FCC’s efforts by authorizing an additional $250 million for a second round of funding.

“Personally, I have had the chance to meet with at least eight of the health care providers that received round one funding and hear directly from them on visits to six different states.  Every one of these awardees credited the FCC’s Telehealth Program with providing the resources necessary for them to meet a massive spike in telehealth visits as COVID-19 spread across the country.

“In Perrysburg, Ohio, I visited ‘A Renewed Mind,’ a behavioral health organization that provides mental health and substance abuse services in Northwest Ohio.  They relied on the FCC’s support to meet a twenty-fold increase in telehealth visits.

“In central Pennsylvania, I met with the team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where Dr. Saiyed told me that telehealth visits jumped 700% with COVID-19, and they met this demand with new purchases supported by the FCC’s program.

“In Michigan, I visited the University of Michigan Hospital and the telehealth team explained that the FCC’s support allowed them to take video visits from 400 per month before the pandemic to over 30,000.

“Hearing first-hand how the FCC’s round one funding has supported our country’s health care heroes and enabled so many Americans to receive high-quality care at a distance only adds to the gratitude and appreciation I have for the FCC staff that have worked so hard to implement this program.  I look forward to moving swiftly on this second round of awards.”

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr