Rural Health Care
Pilot Program
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Latest News
Below are current news announcements relevant to the Rural Health Care Pilot Program.
The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on November 27 and November 28, 2008 in observance of Thanksgiving
The Rural Health Care Customer Support Center will be closed on November 27 and November 28, 2008 in observance of Thanksgiving. The Customer Support Center will resume normal operations on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT.
Letter from WCB concerning eligible costs, restrictions on resale and sustainability
- Letter from WCB [pdf, 1.3mb]
USAC's latest Request for Proposals posting
USAC has posted Request for Proposals (RFPs) from the Pennsylvania Mountains Healthcare Alliance and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium to the Rural Health Care Pilot Program's website. The RFPs will be posted for a minimum of 28 days. Below is a link to the RFPs and associated documents.
USAC Posts Palmetto State Providers Network Program’s Request for Proposals
USAC has posted two Request for Proposals (RFPs) from the Palmetto State Providers Network to the Rural Health Care Pilot Program’s website. The RFPs will be posted for a minimum of 28 days. Below are links to the RFPs and associated documents.
USAC Posts Iowa Rural Health Telecommunications Program’s Request for Proposals
USAC has posted two Request for Proposals (RFPs) from the Iowa Rural Health Telecommunications Program to the Rural Health Care Pilot Program’s website. The RFPs will be posted for a minimum of 28 days. Below are links to the RFPs and associated documents.
Comments on Regular Program and Pilot Program Forms and Information Collection due August 22, 2008.
The FCC is seeking comments on the forms, attachments (including network cost worksheet) and other information collection requirements of the Rural Health Care Program/Rural Health Care Pilot Program. (73 Fed. Reg. 35390 (June 23, 2008.)) Program participants may comment on the information the FCC will collect and/or the format in which the information will be collected. For instance, participants can comment on the Forms 465, 466-A or 467 as well as the Pilot Program Form 465 attachment, Form 466-A attachment and the network cost worksheet. Comments may be submitted via email to PRA@fcc.gov or by U.S. mail to Leslie F. Smith, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C216, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. Reference the Rural Health Care Pilot Program Information Collection.
Comments on Regular Program and Pilot Program Forms and Information Collection due August 22, 2008
The FCC is seeking comments on the forms, attachments (including network cost worksheet) and other information collection requirements of the Rural Health Care Program/Rural Health Care Pilot Program. (73 Fed. Reg. 35390 (June 23, 2008.)) Program participants may comment on the information the FCC will collect and/or the format in which the information will be collected. For instance, participants can comment on the Forms 465, 466-A or 467 as well as the Pilot Program Form 465 attachment, Form 466-A attachment and the network cost worksheet. Comments may be submitted via email to PRA@fcc.gov or by U.S. mail to Leslie F. Smith, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C216, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. Reference the Rural Health Care Pilot Program Information Collection.
OMB Approves Data Collection for Comprehensive Review of the Universal Service Fund Management, Administration, and Oversight. (FCC 07-150, released August 29, 2007)
This Order extended to service providers the current requirement that rural health care providers retain records to show that funding was proper for five years from the last day of delivery of a discounted service. The Order also clarified any other documents that demonstrate compliance with statutory or regulatory requirements for the rural health care mechanism shall be retained and that such records must be made available by contractors and consultants working on behalf of rural health care providers. The OMB approval was 1/23/2008.
WCB Letter Explaining Carry Over of Universal Service Funds for the Pilot Program
Letter: Acrobat [154kb]
FCC Selects 69 Rural Health Care Pilot Program Applicants for $417 Million in Funding over Three Years
The Federal Communications Commission dedicated over $417 million for its Rural Health Care Pilot Program (RHCPP) for the construction of 69 statewide or regional broadband telehealth networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories.
The FCC modified the Pilot Program by increasing the funding period from two years to three years and by increasing the available support for selected participants to approximately $139 million in each funding year of the three-year program. Below are the list of program applicants, the FCC’s news release, the order selecting the participants, and the statements of the FCC Chairman and Commissioners.
Selected Participants: Word | PDF
News Release: Word | PDF
Corrected Order: Word | PDF
Martin Statement: Word | PDF
Copps Statement: Word | PDF
Adelstein Statement: Word | PDF
Tate Statement: Word | PDF
McDowell Statement: Word | PDF
FCC Expands Eligibility To Include National Lambdarail's Backbone In Rural Health Care Pilot
- DOC-270344A1 [PDF, 106 KB]
Federal Communications Commission Adopts Pilot Program Under Rural Health Care Mechanism
On Tuesday, September 26, 2006, the Federal Communications Commission announced the establishment of a pilot program to help public and non-profit health care providers build state and region-wide broadband networks dedicated to the provision of health care services, and connect those networks to Internet2. The pilot program will fund up to 85% of the costs incurred to deploy state or regional broadband networks dedicated to health care and up to 85% of the costs of connecting the regional and/or statewide to Internet2.
For further information about the new pilot program, click on the link below to read the complete FCC news release.
USAC will provide more information as it becomes available.
- DOC-267605A1 [PDF, 106 KB]
- FCC Pilot Program FAQs
