FCC Establishes Healthcare Connect Fund

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced an order establishing a new Healthcare Connect Fund as part of a reform of the current Rural Health Care Program. The Healthcare Connect Fund will help expand access by connecting health care providers to broadband networks needed for delivery of telemedicine by:

• Removing artificial limitations on technology and provider type, 
• Encouraging consortia between smaller rural health care providers and urban medical centers to enable remote hospitals and clinics to draw on the medical, technical, and administrative resources of larger providers, 
• Requiring participants to contribute 35 percent of the costs, while affording health care providers access to lower rates through group buying, 
• Supporting broadband services purchased from diverse communications providers, while also allowing health care providers to construct new broadband networks when that is the most cost-effective option, and 
• Covering upgrades to higher speed service required for health care applications. 

In addition, the FCC announced the establishment of a new competitive Pilot Program with up to $50 million in funding over three years to test expanding broadband healthcare networks to skilled nursing facilities.

Additional information about the order will be shared via email and the Latest News section of the Rural Health Care Program website as it is released.