The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be Closed on January 1, 2009 in Observance of New Year's Day.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2009 in Observance of New Year's Day. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Friday, January 2, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be Closed on December 25 and December 26, 2008 in Observance of the Christmas Holiday.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Friday December 26, 2008 in Observance of the Christmas holiday. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Monday, December 29, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on November 27 and November 28, 2008 in observance of Thanksgiving

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on November 27 and November 28, 2008 in observance of Thanksgiving. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

NOTICE: Rural Health Care System Maintenance Starting Friday, September 26, 2008, 5pm EST

Due to major planned system maintenance, the following RHC Applications will be unavailable from 5PM EST, Friday, September 26, 2008 until 8AM EST, Wednesday, October 1, 2008:

• Applicant Login
• Search Posted Services
• Automated Search of Commitments

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2007 in observance of Labor Day.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, September 1, 2008 in observance of Labor Day. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

Comments on Regular Program and Pilot Program Forms and Information Collection due August 22, 2008

The FCC is seeking comments on the forms, attachments (including network cost worksheet) and other information collection requirements of the Rural Health Care Program/Rural Health Care Pilot Program. (73 Fed. Reg. 35390 (June 23, 2008.)) Program participants may comment on the information the FCC will collect and/or the format in which the information will be collected. For instance, participants can comment on the Forms 465, 466-A or 467 as well as the Pilot Program Form 465 attachment, Form 466-A attachment and the network cost worksheet. Comments may be submitted via email to PRA@fcc.gov or by U.S. mail to Leslie F. Smith, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C216, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. Reference the Rural Health Care Pilot Program Information Collection.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be Closed on Friday, July 4, 2008 in Observance of the Fourth of July.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2008 in Observance of the Fourth of July. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Monday, July 7, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be Closed on May 26, 2008 in Observance of Memorial Day.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2008 in Observance of Memorial Day. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

Window Opening for Funding Year 2008

We are pleased to announce that the application window for Funding Year 2008 will open on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at 3PM EDT. On April 8, applicants will be able to post their Form 465 for Funding Year 2008 (July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009).

Below are some tips and links to our website to help you with this process.

• To be eligible for a full year's support, an applicant must post Form 465 by June 2, 2008, unless you have an Evergreen Contract (see below). Remember you must wait 28-days for bids before entering into a service agreement.
• If you have an "Evergreen Contract " but might change your service or renew your contract during Fund Year 2008, you should post a Form 465. (Evergreen Contracts must have been verified by RHCD in a prior Fund Year.)
• If you have enabled E-Cert, go to Applicant Login to submit and post a Form 465. If you have not enabled E-Cert, but are eligible for E-Cert as a prior applicant, login and enable E-Cert before completing Form 465.

If you wish, you may also download a PDF version of Form 465.

For other tips and best practices please follow this link to our website. If you have any questions please call our customer service center at (800) 229-5476.

USAC Posts Information on Changes and Corrections for RHC Participants

USAC's Rural Health Care Division has posted new information about changes and corrections that are allowed under the Rural Health Care Program. The new Changes and Corrections page provides links to information about changes and corrections such as contact information updates, evergreen contracts, "Good Samaritans" information, and Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) Changes. The SPIN Change guidance includes information for Corrective and Operational SPIN changes.

OMB Approves Data Collection for Comprehensive Review of the Universal Service Fund Management, Administration, and Oversight. (FCC 07-150, released August 29, 2007)

This Order extended to service providers the current requirement that rural health care providers retain records to show that funding was proper for five years from the last day of delivery of a discounted service. The Order also clarified any other documents that demonstrate compliance with statutory or regulatory requirements for the rural health care mechanism shall be retained and that such records must be made available by contractors and consultants working on behalf of rural health care providers. The OMB approval was 1/23/2008.

Federal Communications Commission extends "grandfathered" rural site eligibility for three years in response to ATA Petition

Details of the order are available at: hraunfoss.fcc.gov

WCB Sends Letter Congratulating RHC Pilot Program Selected Participants and Reminding Them of the Program's Competitive Bid Requirements

Letter: Acrobat | Text

FCC Issues Erratum to Pilot Order

FCC Issues Erratum to Pilot Order [PDF, 70KB]

USAC Welcome Letter to FCC Pilot Program Selected Applicants with Clarification

USAC Welcome Letter to FCC Pilot Program [PDF, 52KB]

FCC Selects 69 Rural Health Care Pilot Program Applicants for $417 Million in Funding over Three Years (11/19/07)

The Federal Communications Commission allocated over $417 million for its Rural Health Care Pilot Program (RHCPP) for the construction of 69 statewide or regional broadband telehealth networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories.

The FCC modified the Pilot Program by increasing the funding period from two years to three years and by increasing the available support for selected participants to approximately $139 million in each funding year of the three-year program. Below are the list of program applicants, the FCC's news release, and the order selecting the participants.

List of Program Applicants: Word | Acrobat
News Release: Word | Acrobat
Order: Word | Acrobat

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, September 3, 2007 in observance of Labor Day.

The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, September 3, 2007 in observance of Labor Day. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.

The Rural Health Care Program will not be holding its monthly conference call scheduled for August 09, 2007

The Rural Health Care Program will not be holding its monthly conference call scheduled for August 09, 2007. Our next conference call will be held on September 13, 2007.

FCC Announces May Deadline for Rural Healthcare Pilot Program (3/9/07)

• DA-07-1188A1 [PDF, 137KB]

Window Opening for Funding Year 2007

We are pleased to announce that the application window for Funding Year 2007 will open on Monday March 12, 2007.  On March 12, applicants will be able to post their Form 465 for Funding Year 2007 (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008).   

Below are some tips and links to our website to help you with this process.   

1. To be eligible for a full year's support, an applicant must post Form 465 by June 2, 2007, unless you have an evergreen contract (see below). Remember you must wait 28-days for bids before entering into a service agreement.
2. If you have an " evergreen contract " but might change your service or renew your contract during Fund Year 2007, you should post a Form 465.   (Evergreen contracts must have been verified by RHCD in a prior Fund Year.)
3. If you have enabled E-Cert, go to Applicant Login  to submit and post a Form 465.  If you have not enabled E-Cert, but are eligible as a prior applicant, login and enable E-Cert before completing Form 465. 

        If you wish, you may also download Excel or PDF versions of Form 465.

For other tips and best practices please follow this link to our website.  If you have any questions please call our customer service center at (800) 229-5476.