Great Plains TRAC Conference

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• Great Plains TRAC Conference
• Omaha, NE July 9-10, 2007
• The Universal Service
• Rural Health Care Program
• Camelia L. Rogers, MPP
• Program Manager, Rural Health Care Division
• Universal Service Administrative Company
• Washington, D.C.

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Top Ten Ways to Avoid Receiving Universal
Service Rural Health Support
10. Dont apply. 9. File the application in
your desk drawer (only). 8. Leave to become a
consultant before filing the application. 7.
Request support for a non-existant carrier. 6.
Request support for a 5,000 mile circuit. 5.
Fail to reapply each year. 4. List the same
cost for urban and rural service. 3. Show a
rural rate that is lower than the urban rate.
2. File with your home address and disconnected
phone . 1. Send in a blank application.
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Overview of the USAC Rural Health Care Support
Program

• Support for urban/rural cost difference of
  telecom or 25 of Internet (Access, web hosting,
  E-mail).
• Service must be for the provision of health care,
  or prorated if not 100 health care use.
• Support of monthly recurring costs.
• Support of standard installation cost (excludes
  wiring, cabling, equipment, or build-out), but
  new Pilot Program will support build-out.

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Service Provider Eligibility

• Eligible telecommunications providers (ETPs) may
  provide discounted telecommunications or Internet
  service.
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs), cable
  companies, or others, may only provide discounted
  Internet access.
• All providers must have a USAC Service Provider
  Identification Number (SPIN).

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12/17/04 FCCs Second Order on the Rural Health
Care Mechanism New Definition of Rural

• New definition of rural for Fund Year 2005
  (starting 7/1/05).
• Based on Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)
  census tracts
• All tracts in CBSAs that do not contain an urban
  area gt25,000
• Tracts in CBSAs gt25,000) that do not contain any
  part of a place or urban area gt25,000.
• Result 15,863 RuralCensus tracts and 50,441
  Urban
• Currently funded applicants grandfathered 3 years
  (to 6/30/08).

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Old vs. New Definition of Rural
New Definition Old Def Rural
Partial Urban Total Rural 2013 234
29 2276 Partial 3 91 2
96 Urban 119 523 205 847 Total 2135
848 236 3219
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RHC/USF Applications (466/466A)
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Commitments by Applicant Type
HCP Type 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 Educational Inst
10 9 4 0 7 12
19 7 0 Comm Health Ctr 34
75 78 88 137 132 204 238
160 Local Health Dept. 3 10 21
185 207 247 323 294 174 Com Mental
Hlth Ct 50 43 30 82 87 128
177 175 114 Hospital 212
279 302 370 495 534 692 734
472 Rural Health Clinic 187 221 308 469
473 604 723 792 463 Total
496 637 743 1194 1406 1657
2138 2240 1383 FY06 approx 55 complete
(6/30/07)
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RHC Non-AK Commitments
Year HCPs Funding Avg/HCP 1997-8
450 2,768,636 6,153 1999 509
2,435,809 4,785 2000 615
4,374,904 7,114 2001 1049
6,650,814 6,340 2002 1241
9,361,111 7,543 2003 1460 11,053,015
7,571 2004 1912 15,025,586
7,859 2005 2027 19,992,946
9,863 2006 1247 10,402,510 8,342 Yr
06 55 (6/30/07)
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Lost support
Post Form 465 before the fund year starts.
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RHC/USAC Appeals
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Appeals

• Read instructions at http//www.universalservice.
  org/rhc/about/filing-appeals.aspx.
• Explain clearly why RHCD decision was wrong.
• Need for support is not a reason to grant an
  appeal.
• USAC cannot waive FCC imposed requirements.

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Rural Health Care Site Visit Outreach Initiative

• Starting March 2007, USAC has been conducting 50
  site visits of RHC program recipients.
• Focus of these visits is to
• view USF support in use
• assess USAC's outreach and education efforts
• observe best practices in the field
• ensure that program funds are being used in
  compliance with regulatory requirements

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Improper PaymentsInformation Act of 2002 (IPIA)

• Covers all FCC payment programs
• For 2006-7, audited 85 RHC applicants
• Expect similar in 2007-8
• Work done by public audit firms
• Final Report to Congress will be public
• Audits cover
• Competitive bidding process
• Timely payment of applicant share
• Amounts received and invoiced to USAC
• Eligibility of products and services
• Record retention (for support received)
• USAC internal audits also continue

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2006 FCC
ADOPTS PILOT PROGRAM UNDER RURAL HEALTH CARE
MECHANISM Pilot will Enhance Access Health Care
Providers Access to Advanced Telecommunications
and Information Services Washington, D.C.
Today, the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) adopted an Order that establishes 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 a
dedicated nationwide backbone
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• Pilot Program - Facts
• Support for up to 85 of cost to construct and
  operate state or regional broadband network and
  for services provided over the network.
• Pilot is capped at 100M minus current program
  (47-53M) or about 50M/yr for 2 years.
• Non-eligible HCPs can use network, but must pay
  their direct or fair share of cost.
• Urban HCPs are eligible, but rural component must
  be significant.
• Application deadline was May 7. 2007 for FY 2006.

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• Pilot Program Application Summary
• (From public search of FCC website)
• 81 applications filed.
• Total requested 1st year support about 320M.
• Total project budgets about 665M.
• Applications represent 42 states and territories
  and 7,400 health care provider sites.

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http//gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi
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USAC Rural Health Care Program www.universalservi
ce.org/rhc/ 202-776-0200

RHC Service Deskgt 800-229-5476 Monday-Friday 8
AM-8 PM