Presentation by Paloma Costa, Outreach Program Manager, USAC

1. Rural Health Care Program
Program Overview
MATRC
March 15, 2012

2. USAC, the Universal Service Fund (USF), and the FCC
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)
administers the Universal Service Fund (USF) on behalf of
and under the auspices of the FCC
High Cost
($4 billion)
www.usac.org/rhc
Low Income
($1.3 billion)
Rural Health
Care
($80 million)
Schools and
Libraries
($2.25 billion)
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3. Rural Health Care
Current Program
www.usac.org/rhc
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4. The RHC Program
Overview
• Pilot Program (closed to new applicants) supports
85% of the cost of broadband networks.
• Primary Program provides discounts for
telecommunications services and Internet access for
rural health care providers (HCPs)
www.usac.org/rhc
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5. The RHC Program
Primary Program Basics
•
•
For telecommunications services, RHC funds the
difference between the urban and rural rates
For Internet access, RHC funds a straight 25% discount
off the rural rate
www.usac.org/rhc
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6. The RHC Program
What does the RHC program fund?
•
Connectivity to:
•
Telephone service
•
Internet access
•
Telecommunications services
•
Wireless services
Must be used for the provision of health care
www.usac.org/rhc
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7. Eligibility
Three criteria to be deemed eligible
1. Eligible location (rural)
2. Eligible status (non-profit or public)
3. Eligible organization type
www.usac.org/rhc
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8. Eligibility
1. Eligible Location
•
Determined by FCC definition of rural
2. Eligible Status
• Non-profit
OR
• Public
www.usac.org/rhc
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9. Eligibility
3. Eligible Organization Type
•
•
•
•
•
Not-for-profit hospitals
Rural health clinics
Community mental health
centers
Local health departments or
agencies
Post-secondary educational
institutions offering health care
instruction, teaching hospitals,
and medical schools
www.usac.org/rhc
•
•
•
•
Community health centers or
health centers providing health
care to migrants
Dedicated emergency
departments of rural for-profit
hospitals
Consortia of HCPs consisting of
rural not-for-profit hospitals
Part-time eligible entities
located in facilities that are
ineligible
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10. Eligible Health Care Providers by Type
Rural
Health
Clinic: 46%
Emergency
Dept:
< 1%
Post secondary
inst: 1%
Community
health center:
8%
Local health
dept or
agency: 9%
Not-forprofit
hospital:
29%
www.usac.org/rhc
Community
mental health
center: 7%
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11. The RHC Program
Four Steps for Health Care Providers:
1. Health Care Provider’s eligibility is determined
2. HCP requests services, and Service Providers (SPs) provide
bids for the HCP to evaluate (1st Form: 465)
3. Once HCP has selected services/service providers, HCP
notifies RHC of selection (2nd Form: 466/466-A)
4. Once approved for support, HCP notifies RHC that services
have been received (3rd Form: 467)
www.usac.org/rhc
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12. Second Step: Form 465
What is the Form 465?
Description of Services Requested and Certification Form
•
First form filed by the HCP to initiate program
participation
•
Certifies that the HCP meets eligibility requirements
•
Used to request bids from service providers for eligible
services
www.usac.org/rhc
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13. Second Step: Form 465
Competitive Bidding
•
HCPs must not enter into a contract or service
agreement until the Allowable Contract Selection
Date (ACSD), or the 29th day after the 465 is posted
•
HCPs must select the most cost effective bid
www.usac.org/rhc
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14. Second Step: Form 465
Competitive Bidding
•
USAC encourages the use of an (optional) scoring
tool/scoring matrix
–
HCPs should choose the selection criteria most
important to them. Some examples include but are not
limited to:





www.usac.org/rhc
Technical support
Previous experience with service provider
Cost for service
Rapid response
Service provider to provide a single point of contact
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15. Third Step: Forms 466/466-A
What are the Forms 466 and 466-A?
Funding Request and Certification Form
•
Second form(s) filed in the application process
•
Identifies the HCP’s selected service(s), rates, carrier(s), and
date of carrier selection
•
The HCP must submit one form for each service
•
Funds cannot be committed until RHC receives a completed
form and required supporting documentation
www.usac.org/rhc
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16. Fourth Step: Form 467
What is the Form 467?
Connection Certification
•
Third and final form required in the application process
•
Used to confirm the following:
– When service was provided (service start date)
– When/if service was disconnected (service end date)
– If service was never turned on
•
The HCP will NOT receive support until the Form 467 is
submitted
www.usac.org/rhc
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17. www.usac.org/rhc
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18. www.usac.org/rhc
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19. RHC Primary Program
June 30, 2013
• Last day of Funding Year
• Deadline to submit Form(s) 466/466-A
June 2, 2012
Last day to post Form 465 to receive a
full year of funding. Support is pro-rated
if Form 465 is posted after this date
July 1, 2012
• First day of Funding Year
• First day funding can be committed
April 16, 2012
Prior to the beginning of the
funding year, filing window
opened so that HCPs can
submit a Form 465
www.usac.org/rhc
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20. Timeline
•
•
Window opening:
– Earliest date that the Form 465 can be posted for
upcoming Funding Year
– Typically occurs March – April
– Remember to allow time in addition to 28 days to
review bids, sign a contract, and get services prior
to July 1st
Full year of funding:
– Form 465 must be posted at least 28 calendar days
prior to the start of the upcoming Funding Year
(June 2nd)
www.usac.org/rhc
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21. Training and Website
• Welcome Packet
www.usac.org/rhc
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22. www.usac.org/rhc
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23. www.usac.org/rhc
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24. www.usac.org/rhc
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25. www.usac.org/rhc
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26. Rural Health Care
Changes to the Program
www.usac.org/rhc
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27. Changes to the RHC Program
•
Additional training – live and online – is in development
•
Complete website overhaul nearing completion!
•
New system for application submission and processing
to launch for FY 2012
www.usac.org/rhc
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28. Changes to the RHC Program
New application system
• User-friendly:
–
–
–
–
Think “Turbo-Tax” format
More pre-populating of data for applicants
If you’re evergreen, circuit info will pre-populate
All electronic communication – no paper mailings
www.usac.org/rhc
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29. System Improvements
• Streamlined process:
–
Online forms can be saved and stored

–
–
Show status of work in progress
Updated systems and redesigned workflow to improve
accuracy of submissions and reduce processing time
Redesigned forms / reduction in total number of forms
proposed
• Secure portals for applicants:
–
Forms and document repository:



Application supporting documentation
RHC correspondence
Contracts
– Applicants and service providers can upload information
– Information for all fund years can be stored in the portal
www.usac.org/rhc
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30. Training and Website
• Welcome Packet and Handouts
• Ongoing exhibits and training for current program at
conferences such as ATA, NRHA, APHA, etc.
• Webinars on the RHC site:
– Competitive Bidding and Evergreen Contracts
– The Role of the Service Provider
• Training on new systems – My Portal
• RHC website is undergoing complete overhaul – we hope
to have it live in the next few months
www.usac.org/rhc
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31. Ongoing Training
• Customer Support Center
• 1-800-229-5476
• RHC-Admin@usac.org
• Conference Calls
• 2nd Thursday of each month for applicants and
service providers
• Newsletter
• Quarterly
www.usac.org/rhc
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32. Contacts
Thank you for joining us today!
Paloma Costa
pcosta@usac.org
202-772-6274
www.usac.org/rhc
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