(Photo by Kilito Chan/Getty Images)
The Federal Communications Commission s Wireline Competition Bureau will begin accepting applications for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program on Thursday, April 29 at 12 p.m. ET.
The filing window will last seven days and close on Thursday, May 6 at 12 p.m. Round 2 of the program is a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act.
The telehealth program was established with the intent of supporting providers efforts to continue serving patients by providing telecommunications services, information services and all of the necessary connected devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images)
The battle against COVID-19 continues, with the pandemic exposing flaws and cracks in global healthcare systems that speak to big inefficiencies in the sector. These inefficiencies, many of them administrative in nature, touch all aspects of healthcare, from payers to providers to public and private programs. The industry is stressed and in need of relief.
Thanks to emergent technologies, though, relief may be at hand. Blockchain and telehealth are changing the way healthcare does business, and their increasing maturity has created an opportunity to change the status quo.
The pandemic has acted as an accelerant of sorts for the development and evolution of these technologies, and they re poised to take on greater prominence as the pandemic slowly fades.
(Photo by Kilito Chan/Getty Images)
This week, the Federal Communications Commission voted to move forward with Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act.
The telehealth program was established with the intent of supporting providers efforts to continue serving patients by providing telecommunications services, information services and all of the necessary connected devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new application window is expected to open within 30 days of the order, and the FCC will provide notice in advance of that date.
FCC Acting Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in the relaunch announcement that telehealth technology is a vital component of curbing inequities in access to healthcare services.