Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act

Bill: 115-s-1377
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS]
Introduced: 2017-06-19
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health technology, devices, supplies

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Rural conditions and development

Telecommunication rates and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2017-06-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-06-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to remove regulatory limitations on the reimbursement amounts that certain large non-rural hospitals may receive for universal service support from the Healthcare Connect Fund, which provides support for high-capacity broadband connectivity to eligible health care providers.</p> <p>The FCC must allow an eligible non-rural health care provider to receive universal service support if: (1) the majority of locations it serves are in rural areas, and (2) the provider serves as a consortium leader of a group of health care provider sites that request support through a single application. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1377 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 19, 2017 Mr. Wicker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To remove the limitation on certain amounts for which large non-rural hospitals may be reimbursed under the Healthcare Connect Fund of the Federal Communications Commission, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act . 2. Healthcare connect fund The Federal Communications Commission shall amend section 54.630 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, by striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the following: (b) Participation of non-Rural health care provider sites An eligible non-rural health care provider may receive universal service support if— (1) a majority of the locations that the non-rural health care provider serves are in rural areas; and (2) the eligible non-rural health care provider serves as a Consortium Leader, as described in section 54.631. .