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1 1 (July 08, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdarj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 01;0i E~$~ & Updated July 8, 2020 FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program and Connected Care Pilot Program: Funding to Assist Health Care Providers and Patients Health care providers are leveraging telehealth, which generally refers to a health care provider's use of information and communication technology to provide a health care service, to meet patients' health care needs during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, some providers do not have the infrastructure to offer, nor do some patients have the broadband access or connected devices to access, telehealth services. To address these gaps, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is administering the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and the Connected Care Pilot Program. The goal of both programs is to assist health care providers with providing connected care services, which the FCC refers to as a subset of telehealth that uses broadband internet access service-enabled technologies to deliver remote medical, diagnostic, patient-centered, and treatment-related services directly to patients outside of traditional brick and mortar medical facilities including specifically to patients at their mobile location or residence (https://go.usa.gov/xvGG8). The FCC is an independent federal regulatory agency charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. On April 2, 2020, the FCC released the Report and Order on both programs (https://go.usa.gov/xv79v), which was subsequently published on April 9, 2020, as a final rule in the Federal Register (https://go.usa.gov/xvGGe). This In Focus provides an overview of both programs. Eligible Applicants for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and the Connected Care Pilot Program Under both programs, eligible applicants are limited to the nonprofit and public health care providers codified in Section 254(h)(7)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended: (1) post-secondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, teaching hospitals, and medical schools; (2) community health centers or health centers providing health care to migrants; (3) local health departments or agencies; (4) community mental health centers; (5) not-for-profit hospitals; (6) rural health clinics; (7) skilled nursing facilities; and (8) consortia of health care providers consisting of one or more entities falling into the first seven categories. Eligible health care providers may be located in rural and nonrural areas. Each health care provider must have an eligibility determination from the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC), which is an independent not-for-profit corporation that administers universal service funds, to receive funding. 0verview o t e COVi D - 19 The COVID-19 Telehealth Program is a temporary funding program that supports health care providers with purchasing telecommunication services, information services, and connected devices to combat the pandemic. The overall goal of the program is to help health care providers reach their patients and to complement the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS's) temporary expansion of telehealth. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) authorizes this program. The CARES Act, among other things, authorized an appropriation of $200 million for FCC to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Using the appropriation, the FCC established the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Program funds are to remain available until expended or until the current pandemic ends. On April 13, 2020, the Wireline Competition Bureau (the Bureau), the organization responsible for the selection of awardees and distribution of funding, started accepting applications. By June 24, 2020, according to the Bureau, the COVID-19 Telehealth Program had approved over 400 applications, for a total of $157.64 million in funding (https://go.usa.gov/xfaca). On June 25, 2020, the Bureau announced it was no longer accepting applications because the demand for funding exceeded available funds. The maximum award amount was $1 million (https://go.usa.gov/xfaxb). The Bureau will use remaining funds to fund selected qualifying costs in applications submitted before the close date. )uay' qg ~ Health care providers requested funding for telecommunication and broadband connectivity services, information services, and connected devices and equipment. * Telecommunication and broadband connectivity services include voice services for health care providers and their patients. * Information services include internet connectivity services for health care providers and their patients, asynchronous store-and-forward and synchronous live video platforms, and patient reported outcome platforms. * Connected devices and equipment include tablets, smartphones, kiosks, and carts at health care provider sites, and broadband-enabled medical devices that K~:> p\w -- , gn'a', goo mppm qq\ M , q 'M I 11LULANJILiM,

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