COVID-19 Telehealth Program

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, communities and health care providers are turning to telemedicine to enable social distancing measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As a result, many health care providers are expanding existing telehealth services and implementing new telehealth services, and the demand for connected care services provided directly to patients in their homes or mobile locations is skyrocketing. In response, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided, among a panoply of other actions, $200 million to the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) to support health care providers in the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The FCC, to effectuate Congress intent in enacting the CARES Act, established a COVID-19 Telehealth Program (Program) to distribute an appropriated budget of $200 million to help eligible health care providers maximize their provision of connected care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. To build on the success of Round 1 of the Commission’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, Congress appropriated an additional $249.95 million for this Program (Round 2). First, Congress directed the Commission to seek comment on the metrics the Commission should use to evaluate applications for funding and how the Commission should treat applications filed during the funding rounds for awards from the [Program] using amounts appropriated under the CARES Act . . . . Second, it instructed the...

Consistent with the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, eligible nonprofit and public eligible health care providers fall within the categories of health care providers in section 254(h)(7)(B) and include: (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; or (8) consortia of health care providers consisting of one or more entities falling into the first seven categories. Eligible entities include a dedicated emergency room of a rural, for-profit hospital or a part-time eligible entity located in an ineligible facility. Eligible entities can be located in rural or non-rural areas, and can operate from a temporary or mobile location.

Health care providers were required to submit applications to the FCC containing descriptions of the intended use of the funding. Applications will were reviewed by the FCC. For Round 1, the FCC’s goal was to target funding to areas that have been particularly hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and where the support will have the most impact on addressing health care needs. The Wireline Competition Bureau made funding decisions based on these criteria and the information included in the application. For Round 2, prior to making funding recommendations to the Wireline Competition Bureau for the Bureau to review and approve, USAC evaluated funding applications against a set of Round 2 Evaluation Metrics: For Hardest Hit Areas, applicants must provide health care provider county, and receive up to 15 points. For Low-Income Areas, applicants must provide health care provider physical address and county and receive up to 15 points. For Round 1 Unfunded Applicants, applicants must provide unique application number from Round 1, and receive 15 points. For Tribal Communities, applicants must provide physical address and/or provide supporting documentation to verify Indian Health Service or Tribal affiliation, and receive 15 points. For Critical Access Hospitals, applicants must provide proof of Critical Access Hospital certification, and receive 10 points. For Federally Qualified Health Centers, Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes or Disproportionate Share...

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Fiscal Year2020: The program provides support to eligible health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by funding the telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to provide telehealth services.Fiscal Year2021: The program provides support to eligible health care providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by funding the telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to provide telehealth services.