FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAM

Learn about the

Rural Health Care

Discount program

Improve patient satisfaction and outcomes with fast, secure connectivity from Frontier at a reduced rate through the Rural Health Care Program.

ruralhealth

Collaborative diagnostics and seamless information sharing are critical to maintaining a high standard of patient care. But to be effective, healthcare communication requires fast, reliable connectivity. And Frontier can bring it to you, for less. As an approved provider for the government-sponsored Rural Health Care Program, we’re proud to offer you fast, secure connections at a reduced rate through the program’s two initiatives.

You may be eligible for a reduced rate on Internet access

Chances are, if you are a rural or non-rural nonprofit or public/nonprofit healthcare provider, you will be eligible for one of the two programs. Review the following requirements to see which is right for your facility.

Healthcare Connect Fund

Here’s who qualifies:

  • Consortia of eligible rural and non-rural public/nonprofit HCPs
  • Individual rural public/nonprofit HCPs
  • Non-rural HCPs are eligible as a member of a consortium made up of more than 50% rural healthcare provider sites

Telecommunications Program

The following rural nonprofit or public entities qualify:

  • Hospitals
  • Community health centers or health centers providing healthcare to migrants
  • Health clinics
  • Local health departments or agencies
  • Community mental health centers
  • Post-secondary education institutions offering healthcare instruction, such as teaching hospitals or medical schools
  • Dedicated emergency departments of rural for-profit hospitals
  • Consortia of HCPs consisting of one or more eligible entities
  • Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs)

To apply for a reduced rate through the Rural Health Care Program, you’ll need to create an account with Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC) at www.usac.org. Once there, you can download the application forms for the two programs.

APPLY HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

Healthcare providers located in geographic areas that are defined as rural are eligible to apply for Rural Health Grants. Use the link to check for eligibility status. data.hrsa.gov/tools/rural-health

Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC) is an independent nonprofit corporation designated by the FCC as the administrator of the universal service fund.

Telecommunications companies like Frontier are required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to make annual contributions that make up the Universal Service Fund. USAC administers the distribution of these contributions to eligible entities.

According to the FCC, as of funding year 2017, funding for the Rural Health Care Program is capped at $571 million annually, adjusted for inflation. In 2020, $200 million was added to account for COVID-19.

The discount rate for the Healthcare Connect Fund is a flat 65% discount on eligible expenses. The discount rate for the Telecommunications Program is determined using the urban/rural cost differential.

The urban/rural cost differential ensures that eligible rural HCPs pay no more than their urban counterparts for telecommunications services used for healthcare purposes. To determine your differential, go to www.usac.org/rural-health-care/telecommunications-program/step-4-submit-funding-requests/

It all depends on the type of services your organization needs. If you need broadband services, network equipment, etc., you may want to explore the Healthcare Connect Fund. If you need voice and other telecommunications services, the Telecommunications Program is probably the program for you.

A healthcare consortium is a group of healthcare providers ranging from a single unified health system to a statewide or regional network of different types of entities.

Non-rural eligible healthcare providers may receive Rural Health Care Program support as part of a consortium consisting of a majority of rural healthcare provider sites.