The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently reported an astonishing 12.9 million American households have signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a national program that facilitates internet access by alleviating the cost of internet service plans for qualifying households. This means there are still 38 million eligible American households missing out on free money to pay their internet bills – and they need to sign up sooner rather than later for the program. (It’s predicted to expire in mid 2024).

The ACP program provides a subsidy of up to $30/month for lower-income households ($75/month for households on tribal lands) on any internet service plan offered by a participating provider. It also provides a one-time $100 subsidy for a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer.

Healthcare may be the missing piece that can help link vulnerable patients to affordable internet. 

As healthcare professionals, we know internet access is more than a fundamental utility; it’s a basic human right and is considered a social determinant of health (SDOH). 

Consider these statistics: 

• Almost 1 in 4 Americans do not have a reliable home internet connection. 
• Nearly 40% of adults above the age of 65 do not have a smartphone. 
• Only 58% of Black and 57% of Hispanic Americans own a computer compared to 82% of White Americans.