{"id":27538,"date":"2020-06-03T16:26:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T16:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.mtelehealth.com\/?p=27538"},"modified":"2020-06-03T16:26:59","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T16:26:59","slug":"the-time-is-now-for-providers-to-apply-for-some-of-the-remaining-130-million-available-under-the-fccs-covid-19-telehealth-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/the-time-is-now-for-providers-to-apply-for-some-of-the-remaining-130-million-available-under-the-fccs-covid-19-telehealth-program\/","title":{"rendered":"The Time is Now for Providers to Apply for Some of the Remaining $130 Million Available Under the FCC\u2019s COVID-19 Telehealth Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tuesday, June 2, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As previously reported<\/a>, Congress and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have removed longstanding regulatory barriers to the broad deployment of telehealth for general care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has established the Federal Communication Commission (\u201cFCC\u201d) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, (the \u201cFCC Program\u201d) to reimburse providers for expenditures in furtherance of building out telehealth programs to meet this growing demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FCC Program covers many types of nonprofit and public providers and a variety of expenditures (e.g., for connected devices or telecom services). But, if you are a provider interested in seeking reimbursement through the FCC Program, you should do so quickly as $63 million of the Program\u2019s total $200 million has already been spoken for. Once the funds have been consumed, there is no indication they will be replenished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FCC will support 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. This raises two key questions: who are \u201celigible health care providers\u201d and what are \u201ctelecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to provide critical connected care services\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is eligible?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The FCC defines \u201celigible health care providers\u201d as nonprofit and public eligible health care providers that fall within the categories of health care providers in section 254(h)(7)(B) of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n