In a letter submitted on May 7 to a bipartisan group of senators, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged Congress to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program. This program provides benefits toward high-speed internet access, which is crucial for patients to utilize services such as telehealth, hospital at home, patient portals, electronic patient records, virtual scheduling, and remote patient monitoring.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is currently run by the Federal Communications Commission and offers eligible households $30 discounts per month towards internet service. For households located in qualifying tribal lands, the benefits can go up to $75 per month. Unfortunately, without legislative action, these benefits are set to decrease to $14 this month and will completely expire in June.
It is essential for Congress to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program to ensure that patients have continued access to essential healthcare services through telehealth and other digital platforms. The AHA’s letter emphasizes the importance of maintaining these benefits in order to support the health and well-being of individuals, especially during these challenging times.