The Connected Care Pilot Program will provide up to $100 million from the Universal Service Fund over a three-year period to selected applicants to support the provision of connected care services.
The FCC defines “connected care services” as “a subset of telehealth that uses broadband Internet access service-enabled technologies to deliver remote medical, diagnostic, patient-centered, and treatment-related services directly to patients outside of traditional brick and mortar medical facilities—including specifically to patients at their mobile location or residence.”
The Connected Care Pilot will provide support for 85% of the cost of eligible services and certain network equipment, which include:
patient broadband Internet access services,
HCP broadband data connections,
other connected care information services, and
certain network equipment (e.g., equipment necessary to make a supported broadband service functional such as routers).
Eligible entities to apply include non-profit community mental health centers. Applications are now open and close on December 7, 2020.
Prospective applicants must request an eligibility determination using the FCC Form 460 and will receive a health care provider number (HCP number) upon submission of this form. An HCP number is required for each site or location that is included in a Connected Care Pilot application.
Already have an approved FCC Form 460? Those applicants who have already received an eligibility determination by submitting an FCC Form 460 for the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program or COVID-19 Telehealth Program will be able to use that HCP Number and eligibility determination when applying for the Connected Care Pilot.
Once the approved form has been obtained, you can begin your application here. Additionally, you can find more information about this opportunity through the FCC's webpage and the USAC webpage.