Rural Health Care

Tips and Best Practices

Below are some Tips and Best Practices that USAC has found to be helpful to most participants with the application process.

Evergreen Contracts:

Most applicants to the Rural Health Care Program have contracts, but only those satisfying the program definition of a contract receive evergreen status, meaning that for the life of the contract (without any optional extension), they need not re-compete the service or post Form 465 (see Glossary of Terms: Evergreen Contracts).

Applicants who submit documentation that does not meet these requirements are treated as month-to-month, tariffed service. These applicants may not receive support prior to selection of the most cost-effective service after the required 28-day posting of the Description of Services Requested & Certification Form (Form 465) each funding year. Applicants with evergreen contracts need not post an FCC Form 465 during the life of that contract, but must post an FCC Form 465 to add service, make service changes, renew service, or extend the contract (including optional extensions).

Evergreen Contracts Tip Sheet [PDF, 26KB]

Urban Rates

Urban rates are provided for applicants to use as a "safe harbor" if they have had difficulty obtaining an urban rate on their own. The applicant is not required to use these posted rates. The term "safe harbor," as used in this case, refers to average rates for services obtained by USAC from various telecommunication providers. These "safe harbor" rates are available for the applicant to use if a better urban rate cannot be obtained.

Not all service types are available on the USAC website. If the applicant obtains a rate from a telecommunications provider, the rate quote document must meet the following guidelines:

  • Document must have carrier's logo and the name of the service representative
  • Service type and bandwidth must be clearly listed (T-1 1.544, Frame Relay, 128K, etc.)
  • The term of the rate must be clearly stated (month-to-month, 24-month contract, etc.)

Urban rates for contracts are available by calling USAC's Customer Service Support Center at 1-800-229-5476.

Rural Rate Documentation

When submitting documentation for your rural rate, be sure that the amount on your bill reflects what is on the Funding Request and Certification Form (Form 466) and/or the Internet Service Funding Request and Certification Form (Form 466-A). It is easy to copy the data from a previous year's form to a current year, but often prices have changed. By double checking your rates, you will help USAC process your form more quickly.

FCC Registration Numbers

FCC forms require an FCC Registration Number for all applicants, bill payers, and consultants retained to complete forms. An FCC Registration Number, or FCCRN, is a 10-digit number assigned to an entity or individual registering with the FCC that uniquely identifies the registrant in all transactions with the FCC. No Funding Commitment Letters will be issued to applicants that have not provided the appropriate FCC Registration Numbers.

For more information on FCC Registration Numbers, to apply for one online, or to request a paper application, visit the FCC's website at www.fcc.gov and click on the link at the left of the page for FCC Registration Number (FCCRN) Commission Registration System (CORES). Registering online is the fastest way to obtain an FCCRN.

Electronic Signatures

Applicants can file all forms with USAC electronically through e-certification, or electronic certification, once the initial Description of Services Requested & Certification Form (Form 465) has been successfully posted. Once enabled, e-certification eliminates the steps of printing, signing, and mailing paper forms. E-certifying forms speeds up the application process by beginning the FCC Form 465 28-day competitive bidding period immediately and by eliminating the wait for all required forms to arrive by mail at USAC's processing center.

Remember: When e-certifying forms, be certain to reach the screen that shows a "Submit" button. Choosing "Save and Exit" does not submit a form to USAC. "Save and Exit" saves the form as incomplete so applicants can go back and edit it at a later date. Once the form is complete, click on "Submit" and the form will be sent to USAC for processing.

For more information on e-certification, visit the Rural Health Care website at http://www.rhc.universalservice.org/onlineforms/aboutecert.asp or contact USAC's Rural Health Care Customer Service Support Center at 1-800-229-5476.

Internet or Telecommunications: Which should I select?

On the FCC Form 465 in Block 5 (Request for Services), Line 30, the applicant is asked to select the service for which it wishes to receive reduced rates. There are three choices: 1) Telecommunications Services, 2) Internet Services, or 3) both Telecommunications and Internet Services. USAC recommends selecting "Both Telecommunications and Internet Services." There is no harm to the applicant when making this selection. If the applicant decides not to pursue support for one or the other service, there is no liability. However, selecting either Telecommunications or Internet services only limits the applicant to support for only the specific service selected. Once an applicant has posted an FCC Form 465, changing the type of service requested requires re-posting and another 28-day competitive bidding period. Unless you are positive that you require only Internet or Telecommunications services, select "Both Telecommunications and Internet Services."

28 Day Posting Period

The 28-day competitive bidding period begins when an FCC Form 465 is posted on the USAC website. It is intended to give service providers time to contact health care providers to discuss service needs and to submit proposals for those services. However, health care providers may not sign a contract or enter into an agreement for services before the end of the 28-day posting period -- they must wait until day 29.

Health care providers that enter into an agreement before completion of the 28-day posting requirement are in violation of the FCC's competitive bidding rules for this program and may not receive support.

 


Last modified on 8/28/2009