Feds offer $20 million to health orgs in telehealth pilot funding program

Under a new initiative announced today, the federal government will provide up to $20.6 million worth of funding over the next two years to Australian health organisations for telehealth programs.

The government's NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots Program is open to applications from all interested organisations, including those which specialise in the delivery of telehealth, aged care, cancer care or palliative care services.

For information on the pilot program and the funding application process, visit http://health.gov.au/ehealth-nbntelehealth.

Applications close at 2 pm on Thursday, 17 May 2012.

"Telehealth can solve the tyranny of distance by using technology to bring health services that are sometimes only provided hundreds of kilometres away from the patient's home right into their living room," said Tanya Plibersek, federal Minister for Health.

"The program also aims to provide coaching and healthy living support in the home to improve overall health outcomes for older Australians or those living with serious illness,” said Stephen Conroy, federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.