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Announcements

Announcements

December 2, 2024
Submit your FY2025 Funding Requests Now!

The Funding Year (FY) 2025 filing window opened yesterday, on December 1, 2024. Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program applicants and Telecommunications (Telecom) Program applicants can now submit the FCC Form 462 and the FCC Form 466 in RHC Connect. The filing window closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 1, 2025. We encourage all applicants to submit their funding requests as early as possible during the filing window.

Here are some resources to assist you during the submission process:

November 22, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: November 24, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, November 24 from 7:00 p.m.- midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

November 15, 2024
Appain Outage Due to System Upgrade: December 15, 2024

My Portal will be unavailable on Friday, December 15, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use My Portal. We apologize for any inconvenience.

November 7, 2024
RHC Program News

View the RHC November Newsletter

November 1, 2024
Begin Draft Funding Requests for FY2025 on November 1!

In preparation for Funding Year (FY) 2025, applicants can draft funding requests in RHC Connect beginning on November 1. The FY2025 filing window opens on December 1, 2024, and closes on April 1, 2025. Draft forms will remain in RHC Connect and can be submitted on December 1.  

Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program and Telecommunication (Telecom) Program participants will use RHC Connect to submit their FCC Forms 462 and FCC Forms 466 (Funding Request Forms) for FY2025.

NOTE: Connected Care Pilot Program projects will continue to use My Portal to submit all FCC forms.

To learn more, please visit the following webpages:

October 31, 2024
Update to Rurality Search Tool on the USAC Website

On June 4, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released FCC Order DA 24-526.  In this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB)  of the FCC updated information used to determine eligibility in the Rural Health Care (RHC) program to reflect results of the 2020 decennial United States census. RHC’s Rurality Tier Search Tool has been updated to reflect the new census data. The RHC outreach team has posted a tip sheet on that webpage to help you determine if and when a change for a particular HCP in the RHC program will occur.

For more information, please visit the Rurality Tier Search Tool on the USAC website.

October 30, 2024
All Connected Care Pilot Program (CCPP) Project Deadlines Are Extended!

On October 28, 2024, the FCC released Order DA 24-1110 establishing a uniform completion deadline of December 31, 2025, for all projects funded by the Connected Care Pilot Program (CCPP). This waiver permits projects to continue using their pre-approved program budgets through the end of 2025 at the latest. This means that all projects may continue to submit forms and receive funding for services rendered through December 31, 2025, rather than being bound by the original project end date that was three years from the project’s first funding commitment. Selected projects remain subject to all other CCPP rules including competitive bidding rules, funding request and commitment procedures, data reporting requirements, and document retention requirements.

For more information, read FCC Order DA 24-1110.

October 25, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: October 27, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, October 27 from 7:00 p.m.- midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

October 22, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: October 27, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, October 27 from 7:00 p.m.- midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

October 15, 2024
New Form for Telecommunications (Telecom) Program Invoicing

The FCC Form 469 is the new form for the Telecom Program. Per FCC Order 23-6, the FCC Form 469 is aligned with the FCC Form 463. One key difference is that the service provider will submit the FCC Form 469 in RHC Connect, the applicant will receive an email alerting them of the submission, and the applicant will officially submit the form to USAC by certifying and signing the form. Beginning in FY2024, the FCC Form 467, the Healthcare Provider Support Schedule (HSS), and the Telecom invoice will be eliminated in the Telecom Program.

For more information, please visit the Welcome to RHC Connect – FCC Form 469 webpage.

October 15, 2024
FCC Waives Certain RHC Program Rules in Response to Hurricane Milton

On October 9, 2024, the FCC released order DA 24-1059waiving the following Rural Health Care Program (RHC) rules for participants and service providers located in areas affected by Hurricane Milton within the state of Florida:

  • Deadline for Appeals and Requests for Waiver – The FCC waives the 60-day deadlines for requests for review or waiver of decisions by USAC or the FCC and provides an additional 60 days to file appeals and waivers. This waiver is in effect for all deadlines of appeals and waiver requests from October 5, 2024, through March 8, 2025.
  • Information Requests – The FCC waives the 14-day deadline for applicants in the affected areas to respond to Information Requests from USAC related to funding requests, appeals and waivers, invoices, audits, and other documentation submitted by program participants. This waiver will apply to all Information Requests issued on or after October 5, 2024, regardless of the related funding year. The new deadline for responding to Information requests is March 8, 2025.
  • Documentation Retention and Production – Due to possible lost records, the FCC waives the rule that applicants and service providers must retain all documents for at least five years after the last day of the supported services in a given funding year. If lost records are later requested by USAC or the FCC, program participants will not be penalized, but applicants and service providers will be held responsible for obtaining such records, where available, from a third party. Program participants that are affected also must certify that the records were destroyed in the hurricane. Current rules apply to all records that were not destroyed.
  • Invoice Filing Deadline – The FCC waives the invoicing deadline for FY2023 funding requests and granted the automatic 120-day extension. Thus, for single-year funding commitments that previously had a deadline of October 28, 2024, the new deadline will be February 25, 2025.
October 8, 2024
FCC Waives Certain RHC Program Rules in Response to Hurricane Helene

On October 1, 2024, the FCC released order DA 24-1025waiving the following Rural Health Care Program rules for participants and service providers located in areas affected by Hurricane Helene within the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia:

  • Deadline for Appeals and Requests for Waiver – The FCC waives the 60-day deadlines for requests for review or waiver of decisions by USAC or the FCC and provides an additional 60 days to file appeals and waivers. This waiver is in effect for all deadlines of appeals and waiver requests from September 23, 2024, through February 28, 2025.
  • Information Requests – The FCC waives the 14-day deadline for applicants in the affected areas to respond to Information Requests from USAC related to funding requests, appeals and waivers, invoices, audits, and other documentation submitted by program participants. This waiver will apply to all Information Requests issued on or after September 23, 2024, regardless of the related funding year. The new deadline for responding to Information requests is February 28, 2025.
  • HCF Program Annual Report – The FCC waives the September 30, 2024, deadline for the affected HCF participants to file their annual reports for FY2023. Affected program participants have until February 28, 2025, to file annual reports for FY2023.
  • Documentation Retention and Production – Due to possible lost records, the FCC waives the rule that applicants and service providers must retain all documents for at least five years after the last day of the supported services in a given funding year.  If lost records are later requested by USAC or the FCC, program participants will not be penalized, but applicants and service providers will be held responsible for obtaining such records, where available, from a third party.  Program participants that are affected also must certify that the records were destroyed in the hurricane. Current rules apply to all records that were not destroyed.
  • Invoice Filing Deadline – The FCC waives the invoicing deadline for FY2023 funding requests and granted the automatic 120-day extension.   Thus, for single-year funding commitments that previously had a deadline of October 28, 2024, the new deadline will be February 25, 2025.
October 4, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: October 6, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, October 6 from 7:00 p.m.- midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

October 3, 2024
RHC Program News

View the October Newsletter

September 30, 2024
FCC Forms 460 and 465 Available in RHC Connect!

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval for the FCC Forms 460 and 465. These forms are now available in RHC Connect.

  • Per FCC Order 23-110, the FCC Form 460 will now be used to determine eligibility of health care provider (HCP) sites in the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program and the Telecommunications (Telecom) Program. In addition, applicants may be granted conditional eligibility, thus allowing them to initiate competitive bidding and request funding before they meet all eligibility requirements. An HCP must meet all eligibility requirements before it receives a funding commitment.
  • The FCC Form 465 will be used to request services for the Telecom Program, the same way the FCC Form 461 is used in the HCF Program. It is now available for use in RHC Connect.

Moving forward, please submit all FCC Forms 460 and 465 in RHC Connect. For forms in submitted status, once reviewed and approved, information in all forms submitted in My Portal will be migrated to RHC Connect.

Note: If you have an FCC Form 460 or 465 in submitted status, please respond quickly to any Information Requests so the application can be approved, and the information can be migrated to RHC Connect.

In addition, for the HCF Program, Letters of Agency (LOA) and Letters of Exemption (LOE) will now be submitted in RHC Connect.

For more information, please visit the following webpages on the USAC website:

September 6, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: September 6, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Friday, September 6 from 7:00 p.m.-midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

September 5, 2024
RHC Program News

View the September Newsletter

August 30, 2024
FY2023 Annual Report Due September 30!

All Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) participants receiving Rural Health Care (RHC) program funding are required to submit an annual report to USAC by September 30 following the funding year (FY) in which funding was provided. Per FCC Order 19-78, both individual and consortia applicants must submit the report to USAC using the FY2023 Annual Report Template. Applicants should email the completed template to RHC-Outreach@usac.org by the deadline. Please include the HCP number in the subject line of the email and in the file name of the template. This information will supplement information collected in HCF Program forms and includes information allowing the FCC to assess progress towards the performance goals and measures of the HCF Program. 

August 9, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: August 9, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Friday, August 9 from 7:00 p.m.-midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

August 1, 2024
RHC Program News

View the August Newsletter

July 12, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: July 14, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, July 14 from 7:00 p.m.-midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

July 3, 2024
RHC Program News

View the July Newsletter

June 17, 2024
FCC Announces Availability of Unused Funds to Fully Fund Rural Health Care Program Demand for FY2024

On June 14, 2024, the FCC Wireline Competition Bureau directed USAC to carry forward up to $161.57 million in unused funds from prior funding years to satisfy funding year (FY) 2024 demand for the Rural Health Care program. Because of this, all eligible RHC Program funding requests filed during the funding year 2024 application filing window can now be fully funded without prioritization. Please read the Public Notice for more information.

June 14, 2024
RHC Connect Outage Due to System Upgrade: June 16, 2024

RHC Connect will be unavailable on Sunday, June 16 from 7:00 p.m.-midnight ET due to a scheduled system upgrade. During this time, users will be unable to log in to and use RHC Connect. We apologize for any inconvenience.

All announcements can be found in the Announcements Archive.

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