By Aliya Sternstein, National Journal's Technology Daily
The FCC is moving into the healthcare arena. Chairman Kevin Martin last week announced a plan for a $400 million effort to expand treatment access for Americans in rural and impoverished areas via high-speed Internet services.
The expansion of long-distance healthcare, known as telehealth, will help lay the foundation for the nationwide exchange of e-health records, according to experts. The president has set a goal of ensuring that most Americans have access to e-health records by 2014.
The FCC's plan will fund dedicated broadband networks for telehealth activities, like videoconference consultations or second opinions from out-of-state specialists. Telemedicine is intended to cuts costs, travel time and medical errors, especially for people in remote or poverty-stricken regions of the country.
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