WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU APPROVES FIRST GROUP OF FUNDING AWARDEES IN ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM

DA 21-1052

Released:  August 26, 2021

Wireline Competition Bureau Approves first group of Funding Awardees in ROUND 2 OF COVID-19 tELEHEALTH PROGRAM

Health Care Providers in Every State, Territory, and the District of Columbia to Receive Critical Support for Telehealth and Connected Care Services

WC Docket No. 20-89

Today, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) approves the first group of funding commitments under Round 2 of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Telehealth Program (Program) and commits $41,980,345 in funding to 62 health care providers in every state, territory, and the District of Columbia.  The funding commitments made today will provide critical support to health care providers on the front lines in the fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) established the Program in April 2020 pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act[1] to provide $200 million in emergency funding to health care providers for telehealth and connected care services in response to COVID-19.[2]  To build on the Program’s success, Congress appropriated an additional $249.95 million to fund the second round of the Program as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.[3]  On March 30, 2021, the Commission released the Second COVID-19 Report and Order,[4] which initiated Round 2 of the Program by adopting additional requirements and processes to implement Congressional direction and improve Program administration.  Applications for Round 2 were accepted from April 29, 2021, through May 6, 2021.[5]   

As the Commission established in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order, funding for Round 2 of the Program is to be awarded in two phases.[6]  In the initial commitment phase, at least $150 million will be awarded based in part on geographic considerations and on the objective evaluation metrics outlined in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order.[7]  This Public Notice announces funding commitments for health care providers in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia to ensure nationwide distribution of funding.  This Public Notice also announces a second funding commitment to an applicant in the states and territories that did not have an applicant receive Round 1 funding as directed by the Commission in the Second COVID-19 Report and Order.[8]  A full list of the funding awardees is included in Appendix A of this Public Notice. 

The Bureau will next commit funding to the highest-scoring applications, in descending order, until at least $150 million has been committed,[9] and it will then issue a Public Notice announcing the complete list of those awardees, the amount of their awards, and the remaining funding available for the final commitment window.[10]  That Public Notice will also provide guidance, as directed by the Commission, on how the applicants that did not receive funding during the initial commitment phase may supplement their applications with additional information.[11]

For further information regarding this Public Notice, please contact Connor Ferraro, Attorney Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, Connor.Ferraro@fcc.gov or (202) 418-1322.  For more information about Round 2, refer to USAC’s website at www.usac.org/about/covid-19-telehealth-program.

For inquiries and support related to Round 2 invoicing, please contact Round2TelehlthInvoicSupp@FCC.gov.

-FCC-
APPENDIX A

[1] Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers; COVID-19 Telehealth Program, WC Docket Nos. 18-213, 20-89, Report and Order, 35 FCC Rcd 3366 (2020) (First COVID-19 Report and Order); Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. No 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (2020) (CARES Act).

[2] From April 16, 2020, through July 8, 2020, the Commission fully obligated the $200 million by issuing awards on a rolling basis to 539 applications.  Press Release, FCC, FCC Approves Final Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications (July 8, 2020), https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-approves-final-set-covid-19-telehealth-program-applications.

[3] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No:  116-260, Division N-Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief, Title IX-Broadband Internet Access Service, § 903 “FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program” (2020), available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text (Consolidated Appropriations Act).

[4] COVID-19 Telehealth Program; Promoting Telehealth for Low-Income Consumers, WC Docket Nos. 20-89 and 18-213, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 36 FCC Rcd 7141 (2021) (Second COVID-19 Report and Order).

[5] Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Application Filing Window for Round 2 of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Will Open April 29, 2021,WC Docket No. 20-89, Public Notice, 36 FCC Rcd 7321 (WCB 2021).

[6] Second COVID-19 Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 7171-73, paras. 61-69.

[7] Second COVID-19 Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 7157, para. 38.

[8] Second COVID-19 Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 7165-66, para. 48.  The Second COVID-19 Report and Order directed USAC, with Bureau oversight, to commit funding to the two highest-scoring applications in states and territories where a lead applicant did not receive Round 1 funding.  Id. at 7165-66, para. 48 & n.178.  However, only one application with a lead health care provider in the Northern Mariana Islands was submitted.

[9] Id. at 7172, para. 64.  Once $150 million in funding has been committed, any applications with the same score as the last application to receive a funding commitment will also receive a funding commitment.  Id.

[10] Id. at 7172, para. 64. 

[11] Id. at 7172, para. 65.