National Health Care

Dear MiCTA Health Care Members and related Consortiums, MiCTA HCF Eligible Company’s, and interested Health Care Providers.  This new area of the MiCTA Home Page has been created to allow you, our Health Care Members, to “fast track” to the most pertinent information relative to the use of Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) eligible MiCTA MSA’s (Master Service Agreements).  Per language found in the FCC Order 12-150, MiCTA healthcare members can use MiCTA contracts that were awarded as a result of MiCTA’s E-Rate 470 RFP process and avoid the bidding process under the Healthcare Connect Fund.  This bidding exemption is called the “E-Rate Exemption”

The Healthcare Connect Fund was passed into law on December 12, 2012 by the FCC.  This new “Visionary Fund” changes the course of funding for Rural Health Care under the USF (Universal Service Fund) providing sweeping changes, from a flat rate of 65% for all eligible services and network equipment, to the potential for participation of non-rural HCPs and for profit healthcare clinics in a majority rural HCP consortium, and much more.  MiCTA would like to thank the Commission and Staff for its diligence in making the Healthcare Connect Fund a reality. 

Additionally there are links to MiCTA’s Eligible Vendors, the section of the new Order 12-150 affirming the legal use of MiCTA’s E-Rate Contracts as Eligible under the HCF program highlighted in “yellow” on pages 115-116, the “How to Join Member Form”, MiCTA National HCF PPT, Rural HCP Search Tool, More – Program Forms/Instructions, and Current Funding Commitments.”

Note:  The relative HCF Program forms 460,462 and 463 are filed on-line using My Portal.  You must obtain an FCC Registration number for each of your sites prior to filing your 460(s) (Eligibility and Registration Form).  A 460 must be completed for each site that wants to participate as well as one 460 for a Consortia participation.  This includes each eligible Rural HCP site, urban site, Ineligible site (For-Profit Clinic), off-site data center, off-site administrative office, as well as all of the other eligible category’s found here on slide 3.  Members can submit the form 460’s and supporting documentation at any time during the funding year to establish eligibility prior to using any of the MiCTA Contracts/MSAs (Master Service Agreements).  MiCTA provides support to all MiCTA HCP members who are interested in participating in the Healthcare Connect Fund.

New:  On August 26, 2016 the FCC released Public Notice DA-16-979.  In reaction to the growing interest in the RHC Program the Commission has now established two new filing windows for the 2016 funding year for both the Telecommunications and Healthcare Connect Fund Programs.  They are 9/1/2016 – 11/30/2016 and 2/1/2017 – 4/30/2017, if funds are still available.

No funding requests (Form 462) will be accepted between 12/1/2017 – 1/31/2017, however, all other Forms (460, 463) will be accepted. 

Current forms will be revised to account for the addition of NSFs and the revised forms will be available on the USAC RHC Portal starting 1/1/2017.  The first filing window for the 2017 funding year will open on 2/1/2017 and USAC will determine the timing, duration, and administrative requirements for all subsequent filing window periods for 2017 and beyond.