Disbursement Remittance

USAC emails remittance statements and makes electronic payments to the contacts and institutions indicated on FCC Form 498. Recipients, either service providers or applicants, may elect a different contact and bank account for each program.

Contact and banking information can be changed at any time by managing your 498 ID in E-File.

Electronic Payments

USAC only pays support disbursements electronically, as mandated by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996(Pub. Law 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321-358).

If a service provider’s banking information is missing, incomplete, and or invalid, disbursements may be returned by the recipient’s bank, or not transmitted. USAC will contact the service provider to correct any inaccurate information.

Payments in the High Cost and Lifeline Programs

Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) may choose between:

• Having payments deposited into the account listed on their FCC Form 498, or
• Participating in the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) pool (To select the NECA pool, ILECs must check the box on FCC Form 498 that reads, “Check this box if electing National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA)”).

Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) cannot elect the NECA pool; disbursement payments will be deposited into the account listed on the FCC Form 498.

Recipients may choose to have their program disbursements offset their universal service contribution obligation (USAC invoice) by checking the box in Block 15 and 16 on the FCC Form 498. This will apply any High Cost and Lifeline program disbursements to their USAC invoice as a disbursement credit, reducing their obligation to USAC.

They may also elect to be paid directly by leaving Block 15 and 16 unchecked. This will result in USAC paying any High Cost and Lifeline program disbursements to the bank account listed in the “Banking and Remittance” section of the FCC Form 498.

Payments in the Rural Health Care Program

Service providers may choose to have their program disbursements offset their universal service contribution obligation (USAC invoice) by checking the box in Block 17on the FCC Form 498. This will apply any RHC program disbursements to their USAC invoice as a disbursement credit, reducing their obligation to USAC.

They may also elect to be paid directly by leaving Block 17unchecked. This will result in USAC paying any RHC program disbursements to the bank account listed in the “Banking and Remittance” section of the FCC Form 498.

Service providers participating in the RHC Healthcare Connect Fund Program must certify in Block 18, as a condition of receiving support, that they will provide to health care providers, on a timely basis, all information and documents regarding supported equipment, facilities, or services that are necessary for the health care provider to submit required forms or respond to FCC or USAC inquiries. USAC may withhold disbursements to the service provider if the service provider, after written notice from USAC, fails to comply with this requirement.

Payments in the Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program

Service providers may choose to have program disbursement payments offset against their universal service contribution obligation by checking Block 19 on the FCC Form 498.

Note: A school or library cannot elect to offset disbursements against any debts because they do not have a debt obligation to the Universal Service Fund.

Remittance Statements

USAC will email remittance statements to the email address listed on the FCC Form 498 under each program’s “Payment and Remittance” section; this email address can be a single point of contact or an email group address.

Request a Copy

Any contact listed on FCC Form 498 may request a copy of the statement via email Responses should be received within one business day. Please include this information in your request:

• Requestor’s name
• 498 ID
• Amount of statement
• USAC program for which the statement was issued

USAC will not provide a copy of the remittance statement unless the requestor is listed as a contact on the FCC Form 498. Telephone requests for remittance statements will not be honored.

Sample Remittance Statements

• High Cost Program Remittance Statement sample
• Lifeline Program Remittance Statement sample
• Rural Health Care Program Remittance Statement sample
• Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program Remittance Statement sample

Having trouble receiving your e-statements?

SPAM prevention tools may block USAC statements because they contain a file attachment (.doc) and a hyperlink. To ensure the prompt delivery of USAC electronic remittance statements, please take the following steps.

Ask your IT administrators to:

• Whitelist “usac.org” and “universalservice.org” on your email gateway, and
• Allow the email address CustomerSupport@usac.org to send you emails that contain the following words and items:
  • Disbursements
  • Remittance
  • Payments
  • Hyperlinks
  • Attachments

And verify your own email set up:

• Check your “Junk Mail” folder in your email client (i.e., Outlook, Gmail) for emails from CustomerSupport@usac.org,
• Check your SPAM quarantine for emails from USAC, and
• Add CustomerSupport@usac.org to your Address Book or “Safe Sender” list.