Technologie i telekomunikacja · 15/03/2004

Rural Health Care Support Mechanism

In this document, the Commission reconsiders, on its own motion, requirements in the Commission's rules that the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) submit to the Commission an annual report on the rural health care program on the first business day in May of each year. The Commission recently made a number of changes to the rural health care program to improve the program's effectiveness. In the Rural Health Care Order, 68 FR 74492, December 24, 2003, the Commission expanded the entities eligible to participate in the program, added Internet access to the list of services eligible for discounts, and modified the way in which telecommunications service discounts are calculated. The Commission does not believe it necessary for USAC to submit two separate annual reports to the Commission on the rural health care program.