Hospitals and health centers will be able to apply for up to $1 million in funding, and applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Priority will be given to areas with high rates of COVID-19, as well as traditionally underfunded healthcare providers like clinics in poor neighborhoods, TechCrunch notes.

“With the adoption of the $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program, the FCC can now take immediate steps to provide funding so that more patients can be treated at home, freeing up valuable hospital beds for those who most need them and reducing the risk of exposure to the virus,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

The FCC approved the funding less than a week after it was announced. But the price for that speed may be a lack of guidance. “This is a well-intended effort, but it lacks clear performance metrics,” wrote Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who mostly spoke in favor of the program. “Moreover, it does not focus on a specific problem in healthcare,” she added.

The FCC also adopted rules for the Connected Care Pilot Program, a separate, three-year initiative that will provide up to $100 million to help offset the cost of providing virtual care. One goal of the pilot is to determine how the FCC’s Universal Service Fund might be used to support long-term telehealth. In particular, that program will emphasize providing care to veterans and low-income Americans.

In light of the coronavirus, Medicare has expanded telehealth coverage nationwide. While Medicare previously covered telehealth in some rural areas, patients still had to go to specially-designated sites for their visits. Now, millions of older adults will be able to seek medical advice from the safety of their homes, and with this FCC funding, more healthcare providers will be equipped to provide it.

The COVID-19 Telehealth Program would use funds allocated for the FCC in the CARES Act. If approved, it would provide select applicants with full funding for eligible telehealth services and devices. Pai also presented plans for a longer-term Connected Care Pilot Program, which would make $100 million available over three years to help health care providers implement telehealth services, with an emphasis on serving low-income Americans and veterans.

The FCC also said that, during the pandemic, it won’t kick users out of its Lifeline program, which provides monthly discounts on broadband and voice services to low-income customers. Lifeline providers are normally required to de-enroll subscribers who they believe are no longer eligible, but the FCC says it will suspend that requirement until at least May 29th.

The Pai-era FCC is notorious for cracking down on alleged Lifeline abuse. In November, a Center for Public Integrity investigation found that the FCC’s aggressive stance may be hurting low-income households more than it helps. Since 2017, enrollment has dropped by 2.3 million people. In the District of Columbia, 49 percent of Lifeline users lost their subsidies between March 2018 and June 2019, and Mississippi, Wyoming and Puerto Rico saw similarly drastic drops.

“Our priority right now is keeping Americans connected to broadband and phone service when they need it most. These proactive measures will go a long way in minimizing the risk that a low-income consumer might lose service during the COVID-19 crisis,” Pai said in a press release.

US wireless carriers have already pledged to suspend cancellations during the COVID-19 outbreak, and AT&T, Comcast, Sprint and T-Mobile have taken additional steps to keep subscribers connected.