Rural Health Care Outreach Conference Call Minutes
June 12, 2003

Note: As of June 26, 2003, FCC Form 466 and urban rates are now available on the RHCD website. View the announcement

Applicants should be aware that RHCD is no longer accepting Funding Year 2002 Form 465 as of June 2, 2003, since an application filed after that date would not be able to complete its 28-day posting period before the end of the funding year on June 30. RHCD strongly encourages applicants to file Form 465 for Funding Year 2003 if they have not yet done so, to ensure their eligibility for funding for the year that begins on July 1, 2003. Applicants who have posted Form 465 in the past are eligible to enable e-certification, which allows them to submit their forms electronically. RHCD has posted over 1,700 Form 465s for Funding Year 2003, over 1,100 of which were posted using e-certification.

The FCC has given its approval to RHCD to use the urban rates that RHCD calculated. These rates will be posted with the release of the new Form 466 for Funding Year 2003. Applicants will not be required to use the rates, but they will be available to use as a “safe harbor” option. Applicants will have the option of documenting their own urban rate if they believe that they can obtain one that is more beneficial. RHCD’s urban rates, for example, are calculated from month-to-month tariffs and do not account for discounts offered by signing extended service agreements. For example, an applicant with a three-year contract may use an urban rate that reflects a discount given for an equal amount of time.

RHCD is waiting for approval from the Office of Management and Budget to release its new Form 466. This new form will eliminate the need for Form 468, and is currently available for review in draft form on the RHCD website. RHCD anticpates that the form will be available within two to three weeks. Applicants, service providers, and interested parties will receive notification of the form’s availability on the RHCD website and through e-mail.

Questions?
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