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 Commission, to the extent feasible, to ensure that at least one applicant from all 50 states and the District of Columbia is awarded funds during either of the Program’s funding rounds. Third, the Consolidated Appropriations Act directed the Commission to allow applicants from Round 1 the opportunity to update or amend their applications.

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.

The application periods are closed. Applicants were notified of funding award amounts through a funding commitment letter. After eligible services and devices have been provided to the health care provider(s), applicants will submit requests for reimbursement to receive disbursements. Requests for reimbursements must list all of the eligible health care provider sites under the application for which reimbursement is sought, even if these were not listed on the original application.

Applicants selected to receive funding receive notification of the funding award in a funding commitment letter that sets forth the amount of funding that has been approved. On January 26, 2022, the FCC approved the sixth and final group of funding commitments under Round 2 of the Program (DA 22-88).

Approval/denial notifications are sent on a rolling basis. Due to the unique nature of each application and review, there is not a standard date range for when decisions are issued.