News
2019
12/10/2019
Wireline Competition Bureau provides guidance on the implementation schedule for reforms adopted by the Rural
Health Care Program promoting Telehealth Report and Order. Read here.
8/1/2019
SHLB news article: http://www.shlb.org/news/shlb/2019/08/FCC-Telehealth-Order-Makes-Progress-But-Creates-More-Uncertainty-/
2019
Breaking News:
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for August Open Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 1, 2019:
Promoting Telehealth in Rural America - The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would overhaul the Rural Health Care Program by streamlining and simplifying the way health care providers apply for and calculate universal service support amounts, promoting transparency and predictability in the program, and taking new steps to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. (WC Docket No. 17-310)
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-358431A1.pdf
2019
RFP: RHC Business and Operations Assessment
6/10/2019 - Wireline Competition Bureau announces the availability of unused funds to increase Rural Health Care Program funding for funding year 2019. Read here.
3/27/2019 - The SHLB Coalition released a statement urging the FCC to leave the USF programs as they stand today without creating an overall USF cap. K&S supports SHLB's statement and urges the FCC to leave each program individually capped with the current annual inflation factor increase. K&S also requests that the FCC continue addressing questions and comments from the December 2017 NPRM seeking Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecommunications Program reform and a more substantial funding cap increase to address the needs of RHC Program recipients. Read the full SHLB statement here.
3/15/2019 - K&S participated with the SHLB Coalition in the submission of a letter to the FCC regarding the current state of the RHC Programs. The letter outlines areas if concern and the impact on the participating healthcare providers who rely heavily on the crucial funding that the program provides. Read the entire letter here.
3/8/2019 - The RHC Program funding cap for funding year 2019 will be set at $593.7M, a 2.2% increase over funding year 2018. The FCC calculates the cap each fund year using the GDP-CPI measure of inflation. Participating Health Care Providers should note that the $150M cap on one-time costs and multi-year requests does not change with the inflation factor. Read the entire public notice here.
2/15/2019 - The FCC Wireline Competition Bureau issued a guidance document to provide certainty and assist service providers and rural health care providers in complying with the FCC Rural Health Care Program rules, including rules for determining rural rates in the Telecommunications Program. Read the full document here.
2018
FY2019 Filing Window Dates Announced
The initial filing window period for FY2019 is February 1 – May 31, 2019. This means that you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 and/or 466) between February 1 and 11:59 p.m. ET May 31, 2019 for funding consideration. We highly encourage you to submit your funding requests as early as possible in the filing window period. You can begin the application process and submit all other application forms for FY2019 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) before February 1.
12/4/2018 - The FCC announced they are seeking additional comments on the determination of urban and rural rates in the Rural Health Care Program. Click here to read the full release from December 4, 2018.
6/25/2018 - The FCC signed an order eliminating the Pro Rata for FY2017 and increased the funding cap to $571 Million with an inflation factor going forward. The FCC stated that the Commission will assess the need for any future increases to ensure they address future RHC Program demands. Read the full order and individual statements from each Commissioner here.
6/6/2018 - FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai has drafted a proposed order to increase the current Rural Health Care Program funding cap from $400M to $571M. The $571M represents an inflation adjustment since the original $400M was established in 1997. Click here to read the entire press release from the FCC.
5/24/2018 - The SHLB Coalition Commends the bipartisan group of Senators who are urging the FCC to increase the Rural Health Care program funding cap to accommodate the changes in the healthcare marketplace and growth of telemedicine that has occurred since the $400 M cap was established over 20 years ago. Read the entire press release and letter from the Senators here.
5/14/2018 - Senator Heidi Heitkamp leads 30 senators in urging the FCC to expand the Rural Health Care program. The FCC's Rural Health Care Program hasn't seen a funding cap increase in more than 20 years. For the past two fund years, requests by eligible healthcare providers have exceeded the $400 million cap. In FY2017, requests topped $567 million, resulting in drastic funding cuts that were issued well into the fund year. Read the full press release and text of Senator Heitkamp's letter here.
5/8/2018 - Chairman Pai releases letter to Alaska Communications regarding services provided to participants in the Rural Health Care program. In the letter, Commissioner Pai emphasizes that Alaska Communications must continue to provide services to the rural healthcare providers and that services to any existing rural healthcare providers must not be denied or cut off for lack of payment of any charge higher than the urban rate. Click here to see the full text of the letter.
2/2/2018 - Kellogg and Sovereign Consulting Submits Comments on Rural Healthcare NPRM in proceeding 17-130
K&S listed five key points that are important to ensuring the future viability and success of the FCC's RHC Program:
2/2/2018 - SHLB Coalition Urges the FCC to Reform and Increase Funding for Rural Health Care Program
SHLB asked the FCC for an increase in funding for the Rural Health Care (RHC) program to improve the quality of health care in rural markets across the United States. The RHC program is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. Applications for funding exceeded the funding cap for both FY2016 and FY2017. This funding shortage has resulted in health providers canceling or downgrading broadband connections and reducing services to the public. The backlog of applications is becoming worse than ever -- USAC has not yet released its decisions for FY2017 applications. Several telehealth networks put their plans to expand into rural markets on hold due to the uncertainty around future funding.
12/10/2019
Wireline Competition Bureau provides guidance on the implementation schedule for reforms adopted by the Rural
Health Care Program promoting Telehealth Report and Order. Read here.
8/1/2019
SHLB news article: http://www.shlb.org/news/shlb/2019/08/FCC-Telehealth-Order-Makes-Progress-But-Creates-More-Uncertainty-/
2019
Breaking News:
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for August Open Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 1, 2019:
Promoting Telehealth in Rural America - The Commission will consider a Report and Order that would overhaul the Rural Health Care Program by streamlining and simplifying the way health care providers apply for and calculate universal service support amounts, promoting transparency and predictability in the program, and taking new steps to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. (WC Docket No. 17-310)
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-358431A1.pdf
2019
RFP: RHC Business and Operations Assessment
6/10/2019 - Wireline Competition Bureau announces the availability of unused funds to increase Rural Health Care Program funding for funding year 2019. Read here.
3/27/2019 - The SHLB Coalition released a statement urging the FCC to leave the USF programs as they stand today without creating an overall USF cap. K&S supports SHLB's statement and urges the FCC to leave each program individually capped with the current annual inflation factor increase. K&S also requests that the FCC continue addressing questions and comments from the December 2017 NPRM seeking Healthcare Connect Fund and Telecommunications Program reform and a more substantial funding cap increase to address the needs of RHC Program recipients. Read the full SHLB statement here.
3/15/2019 - K&S participated with the SHLB Coalition in the submission of a letter to the FCC regarding the current state of the RHC Programs. The letter outlines areas if concern and the impact on the participating healthcare providers who rely heavily on the crucial funding that the program provides. Read the entire letter here.
3/8/2019 - The RHC Program funding cap for funding year 2019 will be set at $593.7M, a 2.2% increase over funding year 2018. The FCC calculates the cap each fund year using the GDP-CPI measure of inflation. Participating Health Care Providers should note that the $150M cap on one-time costs and multi-year requests does not change with the inflation factor. Read the entire public notice here.
2/15/2019 - The FCC Wireline Competition Bureau issued a guidance document to provide certainty and assist service providers and rural health care providers in complying with the FCC Rural Health Care Program rules, including rules for determining rural rates in the Telecommunications Program. Read the full document here.
2018
FY2019 Filing Window Dates Announced
The initial filing window period for FY2019 is February 1 – May 31, 2019. This means that you must submit your funding requests (FCC Forms 462 and/or 466) between February 1 and 11:59 p.m. ET May 31, 2019 for funding consideration. We highly encourage you to submit your funding requests as early as possible in the filing window period. You can begin the application process and submit all other application forms for FY2019 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) before February 1.
12/4/2018 - The FCC announced they are seeking additional comments on the determination of urban and rural rates in the Rural Health Care Program. Click here to read the full release from December 4, 2018.
6/25/2018 - The FCC signed an order eliminating the Pro Rata for FY2017 and increased the funding cap to $571 Million with an inflation factor going forward. The FCC stated that the Commission will assess the need for any future increases to ensure they address future RHC Program demands. Read the full order and individual statements from each Commissioner here.
6/6/2018 - FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai has drafted a proposed order to increase the current Rural Health Care Program funding cap from $400M to $571M. The $571M represents an inflation adjustment since the original $400M was established in 1997. Click here to read the entire press release from the FCC.
5/24/2018 - The SHLB Coalition Commends the bipartisan group of Senators who are urging the FCC to increase the Rural Health Care program funding cap to accommodate the changes in the healthcare marketplace and growth of telemedicine that has occurred since the $400 M cap was established over 20 years ago. Read the entire press release and letter from the Senators here.
5/14/2018 - Senator Heidi Heitkamp leads 30 senators in urging the FCC to expand the Rural Health Care program. The FCC's Rural Health Care Program hasn't seen a funding cap increase in more than 20 years. For the past two fund years, requests by eligible healthcare providers have exceeded the $400 million cap. In FY2017, requests topped $567 million, resulting in drastic funding cuts that were issued well into the fund year. Read the full press release and text of Senator Heitkamp's letter here.
5/8/2018 - Chairman Pai releases letter to Alaska Communications regarding services provided to participants in the Rural Health Care program. In the letter, Commissioner Pai emphasizes that Alaska Communications must continue to provide services to the rural healthcare providers and that services to any existing rural healthcare providers must not be denied or cut off for lack of payment of any charge higher than the urban rate. Click here to see the full text of the letter.
2/2/2018 - Kellogg and Sovereign Consulting Submits Comments on Rural Healthcare NPRM in proceeding 17-130
K&S listed five key points that are important to ensuring the future viability and success of the FCC's RHC Program:
- Increase the funding cap to meet the present demand and project for future demand
- Provide predictable funding by implementing established filing windows
- Increase transparency of the Program by requiring USAC to provide access to data in downloadable format
- Phase out the Telecommunications Program, allowing for simplification and administrative efficiencies
- Continue Healthcare Connect Fund principals that have made it so popular and valuable since its inception in 2014
2/2/2018 - SHLB Coalition Urges the FCC to Reform and Increase Funding for Rural Health Care Program
SHLB asked the FCC for an increase in funding for the Rural Health Care (RHC) program to improve the quality of health care in rural markets across the United States. The RHC program is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. Applications for funding exceeded the funding cap for both FY2016 and FY2017. This funding shortage has resulted in health providers canceling or downgrading broadband connections and reducing services to the public. The backlog of applications is becoming worse than ever -- USAC has not yet released its decisions for FY2017 applications. Several telehealth networks put their plans to expand into rural markets on hold due to the uncertainty around future funding.
