Rural Health Care
Supporting healthcare facilities in bringing world class medical care to rural areas through increased connectivity
Upcoming Dates
How It Works
The Rural Health Care program funds two types of services.
You can apply for funding for Voice and Data, Broadband, or both.
Voice and Data
If you need voice and other telecommunication services, you may be eligible for funding through the Telecommunications Program.
Discount Rate: Determined using the urban/rural differential.
Broadband
If you need broadband services, network equipment, etc., you may be eligible for funding through the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program.
Discount Rate: Flat 65% discount on eligible expenses.
The Process
These steps will help you navigate the process to get funding.
Determine your eligibility
Develop evaluation criteria and request services
Evaluate bids and select a service provider
Submit a funding request
Certify service start and end dates
Work with your service provider to invoice USAC
Announcements
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Maintenance: April 5, 2026
Apr 2, 2026
RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, April 5, 2026, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. ET due to system maintenance. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Read MoreLast Day to Submit FY2026 Funding Requests!
Apr 1, 2026
The Funding Year (FY) 2026 filing window opened on December 1, 2025, and closes today. This means...
Read MoreRHC Program Inflation-Based Cap Announced for FY2026
Mar 27, 2026
The Rural Health Care (RHC) program funding cap for funding year (FY) 2026 is $744,161,841. The internal...
Read MoreOne Week Left! RHC Program FY2026 Filing Window Closes on April 1!
Mar 25, 2026
The Funding Year (FY) 2026 filing window opened on December 1, 2025, and will close on April...
Read MoreFCC Order DA 24-366 – Directs USAC to Accept Late-Filed Funding Requests
Mar 23, 2026
Beginning in funding year (FY) 2024, the FCC directed USAC to allow health care providers to file...
Read More