COVID-19 Telehealth Program Gets $4.3M in Federal Funding
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced Wednesday (Dec. 22) that $4.3 million in federal funding will go toward numerous Illinois healthcare providers as part of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
The program builds on the 2020 CARES Act, and the funding was awarded by the Federal Communications Commission. It will give providers the ability to keep reimbursing patients for telecommunication, information and connected devices to continue enabling telehealth during the pandemic.
“Telehealth has been an important tool for patients and health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Durbin said in the announcement. “Today’s federal funding announcement provides patients with more options for connecting with medical personnel to access care. As the pandemic continues to stress our health care system, I will keep working with Senator Duckworth to deliver the resources needed to keep Illinoisans safe.”
Duckworth added that the expansion of the Illinois healthcare network would be crucial toward “extending reliable and accessible care to more Illinoisans, especially as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis.”
The release goes on to list several providers which received awards, including AllianceChicago, who received $975,124 to purchase telemedicine carts, conferencing software and other necessities.
Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness got $156,000 to buy remote blood glucose and blood pressure monitors for treating hypertension patients remotely, while The Carle Foundation received $643,231 to purchase telemedicine carts and software for servicing a largely rural and low-income population.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s Cook County Health got $513,356 to buy laptops and other such devices, and Northwestern Memorial HealthCare received $1 million to buy cameras and remote monitoring software for patient screening and communication.
Finally, Sinai Health System also got $1 million to buy devices to offer remote care for vulnerable patients.
PYMNTS writes that the telehealth field, with its explosion in popularity, had been spurred by both COVID-19 and digital payments.
See also: Telehealth, Digital Payments Make Healthcare Easier, Affordable for Patients and Providers
The developments come as patients become more aware of what they need to pay, and there is a growing potential for better experiences by pairing telehealth and digital payments.