USAC Announces FY2020 RHC Filing Window
On November 7, 2019, USAC held its Funding Year 2020
Kickoff webinar for the Rural Health Care Program. The key takeaways
include the following:
- The FY2020 Filing Window will open on February 1, 2020, and it will close on April 30, 2020.
- USAC will update its RHC website beginning Monday, November 11, 2020.
- USAC also discussed a few items in the Report and Order, released on August 20, 2019.
- Majority Rural Rule: Beginning with FY2020, all current and new HCF consortia must be majority rural, meaning more than 50% of participating HCPs in a consortium must be rural.
- The 3- year grace period has been eliminated, and there will be no grandfathering of prior Pilot Program consortia or other existing consortia.
- If the demand exceeds the funding cap, the majority rule percentage will be increased by 5% up to a maximum of 75%.
- Offsite data locations and admin buildings will not impact rurality percentage although they will have a rural/urban classification for priority purposes.
- The definition of “rural area” for eligibility purposes did not change, but the Order’s “rurality tiers” may determine the prioritization of support if program demand exceeds the cap.
- HCPs currently approved as “rural” will retain their status.
- If eligibility has been determined in one program, will be eligible in the other program (Telecom v. HCF)
- The RHC program will assign the rurality tier.
