Step 1 Determine Eligibility

Both the applying health care provider (HCP) and the requested services must be eligible for support.

There are three initial criteria an HCP must meet to participate in the Rural Health Care Program:

1. HCP must be a non-profit entity or a public entity
2. HCP must be located in an FCC-approved rural location (to determine if your entity is in an eligible rural location, follow the directions on the List of Eligible Rural Areas tool)
3. HCP must be one of the following types of entities:
   1. Post-secondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, such as teaching hospitals and medical schools
   2. Community health centers or health centers providing health care to migrants
   3. Local health departments or agencies
   4. Community mental health centers
   5. Not-for-profit hospitals
   6. Rural health clinics
   7. Consortia of HCPs consisting of one or more of the above entities
   8. Dedicated emergency departments of rural for-profit hospitals
   9. Part-time eligible entities located in facilities that are ineligible

If your entity meets the first two criteria but you are not sure whether it meets the third (i.e., your entity is not on the above list), contact the RHC Help Desk at (800) 229-5476 for assistance.

Once your HCP has been established as an eligible entity, you should ensure that the services you request are eligible for support. Connectivity costs for most telecommunications and Internet services are eligible for support. Review the list of eligible and ineligible services to be certain your service needs are included. If you don't see the services you require on the list, contact the RHC Help Desk at (800) 229-5476 for assistance.