Federal programs exist specifically to fund rural telehealth infrastructure. Most rural hospitals qualify for grants that cover the full cost of a Pager subscription. We help you find them and apply for them.
Check your eligibility in 30 seconds
Answer two questions. We’ll show you which programs you likely qualify for.
These are preliminary indicators. Actual eligibility depends on your specific situation. We review your full profile before any application.
Programs we actively support
We don’t just mention grants on a page and leave you to figure it out. For hospitals in active conversations with us, we help identify the right program, review your eligibility, draft the narrative, and prepare the supporting documentation.
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
HRSA Telehealth Resource Centers
FreeTechnical assistance, not cash grant
HRSA funds 12 regional Telehealth Resource Centers across the country. Their job is to help rural healthcare organizations identify, apply for, and implement telehealth solutions — at no cost. They have staff whose entire role is to help hospitals like yours navigate the grant landscape. Most rural administrators don’t know they exist.
Who qualifies
Any rural or underserved healthcare organization
What they provide
Grant identification, application support, implementation guidance
Timeline
Ongoing — no application cycle, contact anytime
How to use this alongside Pager
Contact your regional TRC (we’ll identify which one serves your state)
They help you identify USDA DLT, FCC, or state-level funding that covers Pager
Their assistance is free and counts as a resource for other grant applications
The USDA DLT program provides direct grants to rural organizations for telemedicine infrastructure. It is one of the most accessible federal programs for rural hospitals — the application is straightforward, the eligibility criteria are broad, and the program explicitly covers equipment, software, and technical services. Pager qualifies as a covered expense.
Award range
$50,000 to $1,000,000
Match required
15% matching funds required from applicant
Application window
Typically opens January, closes March each year
Eligibility requirements
Located in a rural area as defined by USDA (most CAHs qualify automatically)
Must demonstrate need for telehealth services — transfer data and consult volume are strong evidence
15% matching funds required — can often be covered by existing operational budget
Must describe how the grant benefits rural patients, not just the organization
The FCC Connected Care Pilot covers up to 85% of eligible telehealth costs for qualifying healthcare providers. Unlike USDA DLT, this program focuses specifically on connectivity and platform costs — which means the software subscription component of Pager is directly reimbursable. Designed explicitly for rural and low-income patient populations.
Coverage rate
Up to 85% of eligible costs
Focus
Platform and connectivity costs for rural and low-income populations
Status
Ongoing program — check fcc.gov for current cycle
Eligibility requirements
Must serve rural areas or low-income patients (most CAHs qualify on both counts)
Must demonstrate the service improves care for the target population
Requires FCC Form 460 registration as a telehealth provider
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in active cycles
Grant applications require specific documentation: transfer logs, consult volume data, patient demographic breakdowns, and a narrative that connects your situation to the program’s goals. We help you build that documentation as part of your Pager onboarding. The data Pager generates from day one is exactly what grant reviewers want to see.
Step 01
Eligibility review
We review your hospital profile against current programs and identify the highest-probability applications for your situation.
Step 02
Documentation prep
We help you pull transfer data, consult volume, and patient demographics into the format grant applications require.
Step 03
Narrative review
We review your application narrative to ensure it connects your data to the program’s stated goals and scoring criteria.
For USDA DLT specifically — the most accessible program for most CAHs — here is what the timeline looks like from first contact to award decision.
1
Week 1 – 2
Eligibility confirmation
Confirm your hospital meets USDA rural area definition. Pull your prior-year transfer data and consult volume. This becomes the need narrative.
2
Week 3 – 4
Application narrative
Write the project description: what Pager does, how it addresses your specific transfer and consult problem, and how rural patients benefit. USDA scores on community benefit.
3
Week 4 – 5
Budget and matching funds
Document your 15% match. This is typically met by existing operational budget or in-kind contributions. We help you structure this correctly.
4
Submission window
Submit via grants.gov
USDA DLT applications are submitted through grants.gov. The window typically opens in January and closes in March. Awards are announced in late summer.
5
In parallel
Start Pager now
You don’t have to wait for a grant to start. Many hospitals start Pager immediately and use the early data — real transfer avoidance numbers, real consult volume — to strengthen the following year’s application.