AHA Recommends Improvements to FCC Rural Health Care Program

The Federal Communications Commission should increase the funding cap for the Rural Health Care Program to at least account for inflation since the program began, and at the rate of inflation moving forward, AHA told the agency in comments submitted today. Commenting on potential changes to the program, which provides funding to help health care providers expand access to broadband telehealth services in rural and underserved areas, Ashley Thompson, AHA senior vice president for public policy analysis and development, said “Access to reliable, affordable, and high-bandwidth broadband is essential to providing modern health care. Electronic health records, technology-based patient engagement strategies, health information sharing for coordinated care, and remote-monitoring technologies all require robust broadband connections.” On Tuesday, President Trump called for investing at least $1.5 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure over the next decade, including access to rural broadband.