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Notes

47 C.F.R. §§ 54.600–54.602

3 sections in range

§54.600. Terms and definitions.

47 C.F.R. § 54.600

As used in this subpart, the following terms shall be defined as follows:
(a)
Funding year. A “funding year” for purposes of the funding cap shall be the period between July 1 of the current calendar year through June 30 of the next calendar year.
(b)
Health care provider. A “health care provider” is any:
(1)
Post-secondary educational institution offering health care instruction, including a teaching hospital or medical school;
(2)
Community health center or health center providing health care to migrants;
(3)
Local health department or agency;
(4)
Community mental health center;
(5)
Not-for-profit hospital;
(6)
Rural health clinic;
(7)
Skilled nursing facility (as defined in section 395i-3(a) of Title 42); or a
(8)
Consortium of health care providers consisting of one or more entities described in paragraphs (b)(1) through (7) in this section.
(c)
Off-site administrative office. An “off-site administrative office” is a facility that does not provide hands-on delivery of patient care but performs administrative support functions that are critical to the provision of clinical care by eligible health care providers.
(d)
Off-site data center. An “off-site data center” is a facility that serves as a centralized repository for the storage, management, and dissemination of an eligible health care provider's computer systems, associated components, and data, including (but not limited to) electronic health records.
(e)
Rural area. A “rural area” is an area that is entirely outside of a Core Based Statistical Area; is within a Core Based Statistical Area that does not have any Urban Area with a population of 25,000 or greater; or is in a Core Based Statistical Area that contains an Urban Area with a population of 25,000 or greater, but is within a specific census tract that itself does not contain any part of a Place or Urban Area with a population of greater than 25,000. For purposes of this rule, “Core Based Statistical Area,” “Urban Area,” and “Place” are as identified by the Census Bureau.
(f)
Rural health care provider. A “rural health care provider” is an eligible health care provider site located in a rural area.
(g)
Urbanized area. An “urbanized area” is an area with 50,000 or more people as designated by the Census Bureau based on the most recent decennial Census.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Source

Source: 84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 229, 254, 303(r), 403, 1004, 1302, 1601-1609, and 1752, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 62 FR 32948, June 17, 1997, unless otherwise noted.

§54.601. Health care provider eligibility.

47 C.F.R. § 54.601

(a)
Eligible health care providers.
(1)
Only an entity that is either a public or non-profit health care provider, as defined in this subpart, shall be eligible to receive support under this subpart.
(2)
Each separate site or location of a health care provider shall be considered an individual health care provider for purposes of calculating and limiting support under this subpart.
(b)
Determination of health care provider eligibility for the Rural Health Care Program.
(1)
Before funding year 2025, health care providers in the Healthcare Connect Fund Program may certify to the eligibility of particular sites at any time prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for services to initiate competitive bidding for the site. Applicants who utilize a competitive bidding exemption must provide eligibility information for the site to the Administrator prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for funding for the site. Health care providers must also notify the Administrator within 30 days of a change in the health care provider's name, site location, contact information, or eligible entity type.
(2)
Effective for funding year 2025, applicants in the Rural Health Care Program may certify to the eligibility of particular sites prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for services to initiate competitive bidding for the site. Applicants who utilize a competitive bidding exemption must provide eligibility information for the site to the Administrator prior to, or concurrently with, filing a Request for Funding for the site. Health care providers must notify the Administrator within 30 days of a change in the health care provider's name, site location, contact information, or eligible entity type.
(c)
Conditional approval of eligibility. Effective for funding year 2025:
(1)
An entity that does not yet meet all eligibility requirements under the Rural Health Care Program may request and receive a conditional approval of eligibility from the Administrator if the entity provides documentation showing that it satisfies the following requirements:
(i)
The entity is or reasonably expects to qualify as a public or non-profit health care provider as defined in § 54.600(b) by an estimated eligibility date;
(ii)
The entity is or reasonably expects to be physically located in a rural area defined in § 54.600(e) by the estimated eligibility date or, for the Healthcare Connect Fund Program only, is not located in a rural area but is or plans to be a member of a majority-rural Healthcare Connect Fund Program consortium that satisfies the eligible rural health care provider composition requirement set forth in § 54.607(b) by the estimated eligibility date; and
(iii)
The estimated eligibility date is in the same funding year as or in the next funding year of the date that the entity requests the conditional approval of eligibility.
(2)
An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility may conduct competitive bidding for the site. An entity engaging in competitive bidding with conditional approval of eligibility must provide a written notification to potential bidders that the entity's eligibility is conditional and specify the estimated eligibility date.
(3)
An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility may file a request for funding for the site during an application filing window opened for a funding year that ends after the estimated eligibility date. The Administrator shall not issue any funding commitments to applicants that have received conditional approval of eligibility only. Funding commitments may be issued only after such applicants receive formal approval of eligibility as described in paragraph (c)(4) of this section.
(4)
An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility is expected to notify the Administrator, along with supporting documentation for the eligibility, within 30 days of its actual eligibility date. The actual eligibility date is the date that the entity qualifies as a public or non-profit health care provider as defined in § 54.600(b) and meets the requirements under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section. The actual eligibility date may be a different date from the estimated eligibility date. The Administrator shall formally approve the entity's eligibility if the entity meets the requirements for a public or non-profit health care provider defined in § 54.600(b) and the requirements under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section. Upon the entity receiving a formal approval of eligibility, the Administrator may issue funding commitments covering a time period that starts no earlier than the entity's actual eligibility date and that is within the funding year for which support was requested.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Amendments

[84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, as amended at 89 FR 1845, Jan. 11, 2024]

Source

Source: 84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 229, 254, 303(r), 403, 1004, 1302, 1601-1609, and 1752, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 62 FR 32948, June 17, 1997, unless otherwise noted.

Amendments

[84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, as amended at 89 FR 1845, Jan. 11, 2024]

§54.602. Health care support mechanism.

47 C.F.R. § 54.602

(a)
Telecommunications Program. Eligible rural health care providers may request support for the difference, if any, between the urban and rural rates for telecommunications services, subject to the provisions and limitations set forth in §§ 54.600 through 54.602 and 54.603 through 54.606. This support is referred to as the “Telecommunications Program.”
(b)
Healthcare Connect Fund Program. Eligible health care providers may request support for eligible services, equipment, and infrastructure, subject to the provisions and limitations set forth in §§ 54.600 through 54.602 and 54.607 through 54.618. This support is referred to as the “Healthcare Connect Fund Program.”
(c)
Allocation of discounts. An eligible health care provider that engages in both eligible and ineligible activities or that collocates with an ineligible entity shall allocate eligible and ineligible activities in order to receive prorated support for the eligible activities only. Health care providers shall choose a method of cost allocation that is based on objective criteria and reasonably reflects the eligible usage of the facilities.
(d)
Health care purposes. Services for which eligible health care providers receive support from the Telecommunications Program or the Healthcare Connect Fund Program must be reasonably related to the provision of health care services or instruction that the health care provider is legally authorized to provide under the law in the state in which such health care services or instruction are provided.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Source

Source: 84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, unless otherwise noted.

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 201, 205, 214, 219, 220, 229, 254, 303(r), 403, 1004, 1302, 1601-1609, and 1752, unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 62 FR 32948, June 17, 1997, unless otherwise noted.