$200M FCC Telehealth Program - Application Highlights

Last week, we wrote about our excitement for the upcoming round of the FCC Telehealth program. 

This week, we wanted to dig into Round 1 winners’ applications and analyze how those applications would be classified against the metrics we proposed to the FCC earlier this year. In transparency, an initial version version of the blog was discussed with the FCC and can be found here.

Before diving into the breakdown, the beginning recaps Round 1’s rules and Stel’s recommendations for Round 2.

FCC Program Round 1 Rules:

The FCC’s $200 million Telehealth Program and $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program was adopted to fund the purchase of telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices for eligible health care providers.

“For purposes of this Report and Order, we broadly define “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. Examples of connected care services delivered to patients at their residence or mobile location rather than a health care provider’s physical location include, but are not limited to, remote patient monitoring, patient health education, store and forward services, and synchronous video” pg. 10

“Eligible health care providers should not include the cost of ineligible items in their funding application.” #27 on FCC FAQ

List of Eligible and Ineligible items from the FCC FAQS:

(Lists more clearly viewable on original blog post here: https://www.stel.life/blog/200mfcc-applicant-highlights)

Stel’s Round 2 Recommendations:

In order to further Federal priorities in curing the Digital Divide, expanding Connected Care, and promoting Interoperability while also preventing fraud/waste/abuse, Stel recommends that applicants detail how their solutions impact the following:

Patient Care and the Digital Divide: 

1. Efficacy of program or number of patients that can be treated per dollar of investment (ex. cost of devices and services per patient)
2. Impact on Digital Divide and Vulnerable Patient Populations:

• Required Patient Infrastructure (Wifi, smartphones, e-mails, etc…)
• Patient burden and risk of harm (required tech/security literacy)
• Patient’s out of pocket costs

Organization’s Capability and Connected Health Initiatives:

1. Track-record of previous investments into connected care and telehealth programs
2. Impact on Interoperability, EHR integration, or on other agency initiatives
3. Fraud/waste/abuse - listing out investments into eligible vs. ineligible items

Round 1 Application Review:

Data collected from FCC applications. Full list of awardees here.

Full vendor breakdown can be found in previous blog post.

The intention of this post is to highlight the natural alignment applicants expressed to our proposed Round 2 metrics. The following is a breakdown of Round 1 applications with goals in curing the digital divide, expanding Connected Care, and promoting Interoperability while also preventing fraud/waste/abuse.

These applications were prepared during the height of the pandemic and under the pressures of submitting applications under a time-sensitive rolling process in Round 1. Please note that these applications may not represent the final outcomes of funding decisions. Actual payments may differ as the FCC reported not all Round 1 funding had been disbursed. As a result, to maintain context on the application review process and not on specific applicants, links to applications are below, but the name of the applicant will be withheld from the post itself. We intend to do a further analysis once program reports or invoice data becomes available.

If you are interested in contributing to this research please contact sid@stel.life.

(Updated 3-29-21: $1M awardees complete)

21 - Total Awardee Applications reviewed below

7 - Awardees supporting patients struggling from the digital divide

11 - Awardees supporting privileged patients (with required tech infrastructure - wifi/smartphones)

3 - Awardees with no mention of devices or services for patients at home

Awardees supporting populations struggling from the digital divide:

Awardee announced 4/29 - $1M Awarded, Requested $3,600,000

• Remote monitoring kits
• Breakdown not in application

Awardee announced 5/20 - $1M Awarded, Requested $2,327,662 (Supplemental Information)

• Remote monitoring kits

Awardee announced 5/28 - $1M Awarded, Requested $4,394,481 (Supplemental Information)

• Remote monitoring kits

Awardee announced 6/10 - $1M Awarded, Requested $2,357,500 (Supplemental Information)

• $420k for phones and data plans for 5000 high risk patients with limited connectivity

Awardee announced 6/17 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,078,000 (APP2, APP3)

• Tablet and Peripherals provided

Awardee announced 6/24 - $1M Awarded, Requested $2,251,381.23 (Supplemental Information)

• Remote monitoring kits

Awardee announced 7/1 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1M

• Smartphones and data services

Awardees supporting populations with smartphones:

Awardee announced 4/16 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,000,000 (Supplemental Information)

• Connected Vitals Devices provided - additional breakdown in supplemental Information 

Awardee announced 5/20 - $1M Awarded, Requested $575,545

(Only application we could find from FCC Search, Please let us know if there’s an updated application, and we’ll update link)

• Connected Vitals Devices to be deployed on Patient’s existing smartphone

Awardee announced 5/20 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,100,000

• Bluetooth Vitals Devices Mentioned
• Staff Equipment

Awardee announced 5/28 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,289,300.05

• Connected Vitals Devices and Smart phone application broken down in application
• Staff equipment also broken down in application 

Awardee announced 6/3 - $1M Awarded, Requested $866,542.51 (APP2, APP3)

• Bluetooth Vitals Devices
• Apps 2 and 3 highlight funding for patient apps and hospital equipment

Awardee announced 6/10 - $1M Awarded, Requested $2,174,530.38

• Bluetooth PulseOx Devices mentioned, but not broken down
• App/Video Software for patients and providers mentioned, but not broken down
• In-Patient Cameras and tools mentioned, but not broken down
• Staff Equipment mentioned, but not broken down 

Awardee announced 6/17 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,000,000

• Patient smartphone apps
• Staff Equipment

Awardee announced 6/17 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,000,000

• Smart Vitals Devices
• Staff Equipment

Awardee announced 7/1 - $1M Awarded, Requested $870,000

• Smartphone App with EHR connection
• Service + maintenance included in breakdown in application

Awardee announced 7/8 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1M

• Mentions equipment provided from another application
• Training and staff equipment mentioned
• Full breakdown in non-public application

Awardee announced 7/8 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1M (Supplemental Information)

• Supplemental includes Peripherals

Awardees with no mention of devices or services for patients at home:

Awardee announced 5/28 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1,659,744

• Staff Equipment and Triaging Services

Awardee announced 6/24 - $1M Awarded, Requested $2,801,926

• Staff Equipment (Tablets, Phones, Accessories)

Awardee announced 7/1 - $1M Awarded, Requested $1M

• “The devices, kept onsite at our hospital and ambulatory care locations, enable telephonic and video communication between patients and providers, as well as among providers. They are used for direct patient care. The devices also allow patients and providers to communicate with patients’ family members; however, this is not their intended purpose.”

Blog originally published at www.stel.life