Carr Touts $100 Million Telehealth Pilot in Visit to Appalachia
The FCC proposes to provide an 85 percent discount on qualifying connectivity services to support a three-year study on benefits, costs and savings associated with connected care technologies, it said. The agency released a draft NPRM Wednesday to advance the three-year, $100 million USF telehealth pilot called connected care and commissioners vote on it at the July 10 meeting. Commissioner Brendan Carr spoke during a visit to an Appalachian community healthcare clinic in southwestern Virginia Wednesday to demo how remote patient monitoring technologies including mobile apps used with smartphones, tablets and other devices can help track chronic conditions and improve outcomes.
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Pilot funding would be used to defray costs of connected care services for low-income patients, including veterans and those in underserved areas. Projects will be tailored to address specific health challenges including diabetes management, opioid dependency, mental health, high-risk pregnancies, pediatric heart disease and cancer. Carr said in an interview that the FCC worked with other federal stakeholders, including the Department of Veterans Affairs. The FCC doesn't, on its own, plan to stand up connected health programs "from soup to nuts," Carr said, but would complement work underway. For example, a healthcare provider enrolling 100 diabetic patients in a program using connected blood glucose monitors might contract with a wireless carrier to provide the connectivity between the patients and the provider. Under this pilot, 85 percent of the cost would be covered through USF, Carr explained.
Initial launch markets haven't been determined and will likely be informed by comments, though Carr noted the pilot won't be limited to rural areas. He wants a broad range of stakeholders to respond to the NPRM, especially among the healthcare community. The agency wants to collect ideas for broader reform to help remote patient monitoring take off. The FCC is considering other potential eligible costs that could be covered under a connected care program, though Carr said he doesn't believe the FCC could pay for blood glucose monitors or other medical devices.
When asked whether a $100 million budget over three years would be enough to support a Connected Care program past the pilot stage, Carr said "we'll see how it goes. That's the point of the pilot: We'll see what we can do with $100 million." He pointed to an ongoing shift, especially in rural communities, away from care in brick and mortar facilities to remote patient monitoring. Eventually, Carr said, "we're hoping we can reach a tipping point where the costs of connectivity is absorbed within the healthcare industry itself."
The FCC launched a notice of inquiry last summer (see 1809110039). Telehealth could also help states increase access, reduce costs and leverage a changing workforce, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported Wednesday (see 1906190020).