Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today announced his plan for a COVID-19 Telehealth Program to support health care providers responding to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As part of the CARES Act, Congress appropriated $200 million to the FCC to support health care providers’ use of telehealth services in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The program would help eligible health care providers purchase telecommunications, broadband connectivity, and devices necessary for providing telehealth services. These services would directly help COVID-19 patients and provide care to patients with other conditions who might risk contracting the coronavirus when visiting a healthcare provider—while reducing practitioners’ potential exposure to the virus.

In order to receive funding, eligible health care providers would submit a streamlined application to the FCC for this program, and the commission would award funds to selected applicants on a rolling basis until the funds are exhausted or until the current pandemic has ended.