Promoting Broadband for Anchor Institutions
and their Communities
Rural Health Care Program
For the first time, demand for funds in the Rural Health Care (RHC) program exceeded the $400 million cap in fiscal year 2016, resulting in serious cutbacks. In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission announced a pro-rata reduction of funding for individual applicants of over 15 percent, and an astounding 25 percent reduction for consortia applicants. This funding shortage could cause some healthcare providers to lose broadband connections, harming patients who rely on telemedicine services. At a time when rural Americans struggle to obtain high-quality Internet connections and suffer from the closure of rural hospitals, this funding reduction will lead to price increases for healthcare providers across the country, and devastatingly impact the quality of rural healthcare.
SHLB'S ADVOCACY
May 14, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC regarding the RHC rates database for the Telecom Program.
March 8, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for delaying implementation of the Rates Database.
February 9, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database.
February 8, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database. The Coalition provided several examples of significant urban rates increases using the Rates Database.
February 8, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database. The Coalition provided several examples of significant urban rates increases using the Rates Database.
February 5, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database.
February 4, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database.
February 4, 2021
The SHLB Coalition met with the FCC to advocate for extending the RHC application filing deadline, as well as delaying implementation of the Rates Database.
January 25, 2021
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SHLB Coalition asks the FCC to extend the April 1, 2021 deadline for filing RHC applications. The letter further requests that the Commission waive the rule requiring healthcare providers to use the RHC Telecommunications program rates database for the next two years.
January 15, 2021
SHLB and the Wireless Future Project at New America met with the offices of Commissioner Starks and Commissioner Rosenworcel to discuss the difficulties that RHC applicants would have meeting the April 1, 2021 application filing deadline.
August 28, 2020
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SHLB Coalition asks the FCC to allow schools and libraries to obtain E-rate support for the immediate bandwidth increases they need to handle the explosion of online learning. SHLB also asks the Commission to permit similar measures for Rural Health Care participants, who need support for the expansion of telehealth services.
August 25, 2020
SHLB and the State E-rate Coordinators Alliance re-stated the request that the FCC extend the E-rate and Rural Health Care program gift rule. The filing also asks the Commission to make supplemental funding available for E-rate applicants to augment their existing internet capacity.
August 4, 2020
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the SHLB Coalition, the Consortium for School Networking, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association request that the FCC extend the special waiver allowing E-rate and Rural Health Care participants to accept gifts.
April 10, 2020
SHLB and 47 other healthcare organizations wrote to Congress endorsing H.R. 6474. The letter asks Congress to include this bill in the next coronavirus relief package.
April 10, 2020
SHLB documents the estimated $2 billion additional demand in Rural Health Care funding due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The letter also endorses the bill before Congress.
February 27, 2020
SHLB asks the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau to extend the filing window for FY2020 Rural Health Care applications to the end of June.
December 3, 2019
SHLB met with the FCC to express concern about the Universal Service Administrative Company's ability to set rates for the Rural Telecom Program, among other things.
November 12, 2019
SHLB petitioned the FCC to reconsider portions of its "Promoting Telehealth in Rural America" Report and Order, adopted in August 2019.
July 25, 2019
July 22, 2019
SHLB submitted an ex parte filing asking the FCC to postpone its adoption of the proposed Report and Order reforming the Rural Health Care program.
March 15, 2019
SHLB submitted an ex parte filing expressing its deep concern regarding the operation of the RHC program.
February 13, 2019
SHLB submitted reply comments to the FCC in the proceeding WC Docket No. 17-310, urging the Commission to reject AT&T's proposal to phase out the Telecom Program outside of Alaska.
January 30, 2019
SHLB submitted these comments in response to the Wireline Competition Bureau’s public notice seeking comment on how to determine the urban and rural rates in the Telecom Program. The FCC’s current proposal suggests calculating the rural rate that carriers may charge using an average of all “publicly available” rates. SHLB’s comments express concern that this proposal would create an unpredictable process, as rates vary based on technology and location, and are particularly difficult to triangulate in rural areas.
November 27, 2018
The ex parte letter describes SHLB's frustration with the lack of transparency in the RHC program and the pace of funding decisions for 2018 applicants.
September 10, 2018
These comments offer support and recommendations for the Connected Care Pilot Program the FCC proposed in a Notice of Inquiry released on August 3, 2018.
May 3, 2018
April 3, 2018
The SHLB Coalition filed an emergency petition with the FCC asking it to waive the RHC program’s $400 million funding cap and fully fund qualified applications until the open rulemaking proceeding to reform the program concludes.
The Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) recent announcement that it will cut funding by over 15 percent for individual RHC applicants and 25 percent for consortia applicants for Funding Year 2017 (FY2017) will severely degrade the quality of healthcare in rural America. The announced funding cuts were much larger than the 7.5 percent reduction for FY2016 and were announced over eight months into the funding year. These severe cuts in funding effectively impose retroactive rate increases on healthcare providers who have been receiving service from July 1, 2017.
March 5, 2018
November 1, 2017
SHLB press release encouraging RHC reform after USAC announces decreases in FY2016 funding
April 10, 2017
Washington, D.C. (April 10, 2017) - The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced earlier today that qualifying applicants in the Rural Health Care Program who submitted requests for funding during the September – November 2016 filing window period will not be fully funded. Qualifying applicants for the FY2016 September – November filing window period will receive a pro-rata percentage of 92.5 percent of their requested funding (a reduction of 7.5 percent).
February 27, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) led five of his colleagues, including Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), in sending a bipartisan letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission to work to avoid cuts or spending reductions to the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, which helps deliver vital healthcare services and telemedicine to people who live in rural areas by providing funding for broadband.
View SHLB Health Documents 2013-2016 →
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