CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Additional investments in telehealth development across the United States were being implemented as part of the federal CARES Act, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.
“This new program is going to open up telehealth to even more Americans,” said Brendan Carr, commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission.
“Think of it as sort of the health care equivalent of shifting from Blockbuster video to Netflix. No longer do you always have to travel to a brick-and-mortar healthcare facility to receive care. You can get it right there on your smartphone.”
This week, the Federal Communications Commission released an order creating the COVID-19 Telehealth Program open to healthcare providers with $200 million allocated in the CARES Act.
In general, allocations to providers through the FCC is available to help with purchases of telecommunication services, broadband connectivity and devices necessary for providing telehealth services.
Funding applications were to be processed on a rolling basis.
Additionally, another $100 million in federal universal service funds for telehealth development in the longer term was designated for use over the next three years through the separate Connected Care Pilot Program.
More information on both programs was available at the FCC’s website.
Interested healthcare providers were being encouraged to begin the qualification process as soon as possible.
The importance of telehealth options have been highlighted during coronavirus pandemic, in the view of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
“This is an initiative that we see already on the ground in West Virginia, but it’s going to be magnified. We’re already using it. Our providers are using it now. It’s going to be an expansion of that,” Capito said.
Carr predicted the positive effects of the CARES Act telehealth investments would extend far beyond the active coronavirus pandemic.
“There’s a growing doctor divide in this country, particularly in rural communities. They don’t always have access to specialists, whether it’s an ophthalmologist or a pain management specialist for people dealing with opioid dependency,” he said.
“Now virtually, you can connect from Boone County back to Charleston and get world-leading specialists available right there through a video connection on your tablet.”
Both Senator Capito and Commissioner Carr, who visited West Virginia last year, were guests on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
.@BrendanCarrFCC and @SenCapito talk with @HoppyKercheval about telehealth expansion in West Virginia. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIRZCB pic.twitter.com/FKCj98wfJF
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) April 9, 2020
President Donald Trump first nominated Carr to serve on the FCC and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination in 2017.
Carr’s second nomination and confirmation for what was a new, five-year term followed in 2019.