Carr Seeks More Applicants for COVID-19 Telehealth Fund; 13 New Awardees Named
Stakeholders wanting to weigh in on whether the FCC COVID-19 telehealth fund program should be expanded to include for-profit healthcare facilities should file comments, Commissioner Brendan Carr said during a Connected Health Initiative webinar Wednesday. “It's a live issue,” he…
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said of docket 20-89 (see 2004270044). “You should let us know if we've made the right cut.” During a pandemic nonprofits and for-profits treating COVID-19 look more similar than different, said Carr. The program's rules were borrowed from the Rural Health Care program, which limits healthcare provider eligibility. Carr said he's eager to raise visibility for the program to drive more applications. When we asked how soon he expects the program to spend through its $200 million in funding, he said, “the sooner the better.” He's pleased with the pace the Wireline Bureau adopted and the "cadence," about twice a week, with which it's awarding funds. He's not micromanaging the bureau's work, he said, and awards go out quickly because commissioners don't vote. They will vote on participants in the $100 million Connected Care pilot, he added. The FCC announced earlier Wednesday 13 new awardees were granted $4.2 million. They include rural and urban healthcare providers in Colorado, Georgia, New York, Washington, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota.