FCC?s Healthcare Connect Fund to reform universal health care

The FCC established the Healthcare Connect Fund in 2006 in order to expand access by health care providers to robust broadband networks. But a recent move move by the FCC aims to modernize the program by expanding eligible types of technology and providers, encouraging health care consortia between small rural providers and urban medical centers, increasing the matching rate to 35 percent, allowing the construction of new networks as necessary, and covering upgrades to the higher speed services required for health care applications.

In addition, the program intends to create a new pilot to explore expanding networks to skilled nursing facilities. Up to $50 million over three years will be available from the Fund for these competitively-awarded pilots.

Since its inception in 2006 the Rural Health Care Pilot Program has funded some 50 pilots nationwide. "In a report released this past summer, the FCC highlighted lessons learned from these pilots, including a South Carolina consortium that saved $18 million in Medicaid costs by using telepyschiatry, and a group of health care providers in the Midwest that saved $1.2 million in patient electronic intensive care unit services."

FCC Creates Healthcare Connect Fund (FCC, Dec. 12, 2012)

Wireline competition bureau evaluation of rural health care pilot program staff report (FCC, August 13, 2012)