The Rural Health Care Program

Link

https://www.usac.org/rural-health-care/

Additional Links

Rural Health Care Program

Deadline

Application Deadline: Apr 1, 2025

Sponsor

Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)

Purpose

Provides funding to eligible healthcare providers in rural areas for telecommunications and broadband services necessary for the provision of healthcare.

The Rural Health Care (RHC) Program consists of the:

• Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program that offers a 65% discount on broadband connectivity expenses to eligible rural healthcare providers and consortia.
• Telecommunications (Telecom) Program that subsidizes the difference between urban and rural rates for telecommunications and voice services to eligible rural healthcare providers for the use of telemedicine and telehealth.

Further details and information regarding services eligible for RHC program support can be found in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Healthcare Connect Fund Order 19-78. Examples of common products and services eligible for support through the HCF and Telecom programs are listed on the program website.

FCC Rural Health Care Program frequently asked questions

Amount of Funding

Estimated total Rural Health Care Program funding: $571,000,000

Funding amounts for subsequent funding years will be adjusted for inflation. Applicants must provide matching funds for a portion of the project.

Who Can Apply

Eligible HCF program applicants can be individual healthcare providers (HCPs) or a consortia of HCPs.

The 3 initial criteria a HCP or consortium member must meet to be considered eligible for the HCF program include:

1. Being a public or nonprofit entity
2. HCP must be in a rural location as defined by the FCC. To determine the rurality of a location, use the Eligible Rural Areas search tool.
3. HCP must be 1 of the following types of entities:
   • Post-secondary educational institution offering healthcare instruction, such as teaching hospitals or medical schools
   • Community health center or health center providing healthcare to migrants
   • Local health department or agency
   • Community mental health center
   • A not-for-profit hospital
   • Rural Health Clinic (RHC)
   • Dedicated emergency room of a rural for-profit hospital
   • Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
   • Consortium that includes at least 1 of the above facilities

Both rural and non-rural entities may generally receive funding as members of a consortium if the consortium is comprised of a majority of rural sites, more than 50%, as of the filing date of the request for funding.

Service providers participating in the HCF program may be any provider of eligible equipment, facilities, or program services with a 498 ID.

Eligible Telecom program applicants are individual HCPs. The 3 initial criteria an HCP must meet to participate in the Telecom program include:

1. Being a public or nonprofit entity
2. HCP must be in a rural location as defined by the FCC. To determine the rurality of a location use the Eligible Rural Areas search tool.
3. HCP must be 1 of the following types of entities:
   • Post-secondary educational institution offering healthcare instruction, such as a teaching hospital or medical school
   • Community health center or health center providing healthcare to migrants
   • Local health department or agency
   • Community mental health center
   • A not-for-profit hospital
   • Rural Health Clinic (RHC)
   • Dedicated emergency room of a rural for-profit hospital
   • Part-time eligible entity located in an ineligible facility
   • Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
   • Consortium that includes at least 1 of the above facilities

Service providers participating in the Telecom program may be any provider of eligible program services with a 498 ID.

Service providers looking to participate in the HCF or Telecom programs must follow the 5-step process detailed on the program website.

In fiscal year 2025, the FCC has issued a waiver to allow healthcare providers whose status has changed from rural to urban to continue to participate in the Rural Health Care Program.

Geographic Coverage

Nationwide

What This Program Funds

Equipment • New Program • Operating Costs and Staffing

Application Process

Information on starting an application, additional program guidance, and an overview of fiscal year 2025 funding is available online.

All applications, program forms, and supporting documentation must be submitted through the My Portal application management system.

Past webinar recordings and training videos
Healthcare Connect Fund applicant frequently asked questions
Telecommunications Program applicant frequently asked questions

Contact

For questions related to FCC universal service programs and policy:
Telecommunications Access Policy Division, FCC Wireline Competition Bureau
202-418-7400

For Rural Health Care Program questions:
800-453-1546
RHC-Assist@usac.org

Topics This Program Addresses

Healthcare Facilities • Infrastructure • Teleservices and Technology