Rural Health Care
About Rural Health Care:
- Overview of the Program
- Overview of the Process
- Monthly Conference Calls
- Individual Outreach
- Understanding Audits
- Training Events
- Filing Appeals
- FCC Links
- Rural Health Care Pilot Program
Rural Health Care Tools:
Rural Health Care News Archive for 2010
Scheduled System Maintenance - Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool will be unavailable on Friday, December 17, 2010 from 6:00 PM until 2 AM December 18, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: www.rhc.universalservice.org. During this time users will be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
Rural Health Care Support Center Holiday Closings
RHC Customer Support Center will be closed on Thursday, November 25, 2010 Thanksgiving Day and Friday, November 26, 2010, the day after Thanksgiving. The website will be open to post forms. You may send questions to rhc-admin@universalservice.org or call 800-229-5476 and leave us a message. We will reopen on Monday, November 29, 2010.
Rural Health Care Program Monthly Conference Call Cancelled for November 11, 2010
Scheduled System Maintenance - Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool will be unavailable on Friday, October 15, 2010 from 10:00 PM until midnight, October 15, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org. During this time users will be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
Webinar for Telecommunications and Internet Service Providers on October 5, 6, or 7 – How to File and Submit Changes Using FCC Form 498
Webinar for Service Providers on September 15 - Understanding Your Role in the RHC Program
Webinar Recording: Understanding the Role of Service Providers
Scheduled System Maintenance – Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool will be unavailable on Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 9:00AM until 5:00 PM, August 21, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org. During this time users will be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Now Published in the Federal Register!
The FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to expand the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program was published in the Federal Register on August 9th. Program stakeholders are encouraged to review the NPRM and submit their comments to the FCC.
Comments due September 8, 2010
Reply Comments due September 23, 2010
The NPRM would establish a permanent telehealth infrastructure fund, cover more of the recurring cost for broadband connectivity, and expand the types of services and health care providers that are eligible to receive funding. The reforms are consistent with the recommendations set forth in the National Broadband Plan.
Proposals in the NPRM include:
- Support up to 85% of new broadband infrastructure costs
- Reimburse 50% of recurring monthly broadband costs (currently 25% for Internet Access only)
- Fund eligible skilled nursing facilities, dialysis centers, and off-site administrative offices and data centers
View filing procedures: FCC Public Notice
View the FCC NPRM: WC Docket No. 02-60 FCC 10-125
USAC Launches its Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program
In August 2010, USAC rolled out its Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program. The PQA Program enables USAC to provide accurate, timely information about improper payments to the FCC, as required by the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). Under this program, USAC assesses specific payments made to beneficiaries in all four USF programs (Schools and Libraries, High Cost, Low Income, and Rural Health Care) to determine if these payments were made in accordance with program rules. Using results of these assessments, USAC calculates estimates of improper payment rates across entire USF programs and provides this information to the FCC.
For more information about the PQA Program and to obtain specific PQA document requirements, please click here. For a list of FAQs that provide information about the program, what to do if you are selected, and how/when to submit documents, click here.
Update your Form 498 with electronic banking information to ensure continued timely USF disbursements!
REMINDER! Beginning August 31, USAC will withhold support payments to any entity that has not provided electronic banking information. If your company does not have electronic banking information on its FCC Form 498 for each of the programs in which it participates, you may not receive your USF disbursements! Banking information must be received in advance of August 31st, so make Form 498 updates using USAC's E-File System right away!
Note: E-File updates your information immediately, while paper forms take longer to process. Forms mailed too close to August 31st may not be processed by the deadline. USAC suggests using E-File.
USAC encourages all applicants to verify with their Service Providers that the necessary information has been provided to USAC to ensure prompt payment. USAC also encourages Service Providers who have provided banking information in the past to log onto E-file regularly to confirm that information is accurate and up to date.
On June 2, 2010 the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau announced that all federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support payments must be made by electronic funds transfer starting August 31 (See Public Notice DA 10-270). If you have any questions, or need help logging in to E-File, please contact USAC Customer Operations at (888) 641-8722 or customersupport@usac.org.
Webinar for Service Providers on August 17: Understanding Your Role in the RHC Program
FCC Program to Expand Investment in Broadband Health Care Technology (NPRM)
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-125A1.pdf
Funding Year 2009 ends on June 30, 2010
Health Care Providers who submitted a Form 465 for Funding Year 2009 must submit the Forms 466 and/or 466-A by June 30, 2010.
Evergreen contracts: If you did not submit a Form 465 to enable e-certification, you must mail a paper Form 466 or 466-A by June 30, 2010.
Forms may be e-certified until 11:59pm EDT on June 30th on https://forms.usac.org.
All forms submitted by mail must be postmarked on or before June 30th. Mail to:
Rural Health Care Program
30 Lanidex Plaza West, P.O. Box 685
Parsippany, NJ 07054-0685
Incomplete applications will not be processed.
For assistance, contact the RHC Help Desk at RHC-admin@usac.org or 1-800-229-5476.
Scheduled System Maintenance - Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool will be unavailable on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 from 5:00PM until 6:00 PM, May 12, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/. During this time users will be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
Scheduled System Maintenance - Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool may be unavailable on Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 9:00AM until 1:00 PM, April 17, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/. During this time users may be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
National Broadband Plan
FCC Announces Broadband Action Agenda. Click here to read the latest announcement.
Connecting America to affordable, high speed broadband
The National Broadband Plan is a bold roadmap for the future of the Internet in America. Click here to find out what's in store.
Scheduled System Maintenance - Login Unavailable
The RHC website and Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool may be unavailable on Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 12 noon until Midnight Saturday EST due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/. During that time users may be unable file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
RHCWindow Opening for Funding Year 2010
We are pleased to announce that the application window for Funding Year 2010 is open. Applicants are now able to post a Forms 465, 466 and 466-A for Funding Year 2010 (July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011). Below are some tips and links to help with this process:
- To be eligible for a full year's support, you must post a Form 465 by June 2, 2010, (unless you have an Evergreen Contract). 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 2010, 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 the Form 465.
If you wish, you may also download a PDF version of the Forms.
For other tips and best practices, follow this link to our website. If you have any questions please call our customer service center at (800) 229-5476.
HCP Support Schedules (HSS) Now Issued Electronically
Starting the week of March 8th, 2010, USAC will begin issuing HCP Support Schedules (HSS) to service providers electronically. The Service Provider contact (the individual listed on the FCC Form 498) will now receive the RHC HSS by email, allowing for quicker receipt of Support Schedules and reducing the amount of paper we use.
In order to ensure that your HSS is sent to the correct individual, it is important that all email and mailing addresses on your FCC Form 498 are up-to-date. If you need to update your contact information, you may update your Form 498 or contact USAC's Client Services Bureau at 888-641-8722. Changes to the Form 498 will be updated in the RHC systems each week, beginning the week of March 15, 2010.
For general questions or concerns about our new processes, send us an email and someone will contact you shortly.
As a reminder, be sure to save a copy of your HSS. Per USAC guidelines, all service providers are required to maintain documentation for five years.
Scheduled System Maintenance – Health Care Provider (HCP) Login Outage
The Health Care Provider (HCP) Login page including all online forms and the commitments search tool may be unavailable on Friday, March 5, 2010 for 30 to 45 minutes starting at 9:00PM due to scheduled system maintenance. The outage will affect all pages located at: http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/. During this time users may be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be Closed on Monday, February 15, 2010 in Observance of Presidents Day.
The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on Monday, February 15, 2010 in observance of Presidents Day. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.
CANCELED: Rural Health Care Program Monthly Conference Call
Due to severe winter weather conditions the monthly conference call scheduled for February 11, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. is canceled. Please join us in March when we will resume our monthly conference call schedule on the second Thursday of the month at 2 p.m. EST.
Where is Rural Health Care? Upcoming Conferences and Trainings
USAC's Rural Health Care Division is attending a number of conferences, meetings, and trainings over the next two months. Training and conference dates, locations, and more information are available on the Rural Health Care Division Calendar.
