Alaska Entities Urge FCC Not to Tap Rural Healthcare Reserve to Cut USF Contributions
Two more Alaska entities asked the FCC not to use a rural healthcare (RHC) reserve fund to reduce the USF contribution factor to 17.1 percent of carrier interstate and international telecom end-user revenue. "While using RHC program reserve funds may…
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help lower the contribution factor in the near term, that decision could have negative long-term implications on rural health care services across our country," said a Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services filing Wednesday in docket 96-45. "We urge the FCC to fully fund the RHC program and not to use previously collected RHC reserve funds to reduce the universal service contribution factor. ... We now face having to pay 7.5 percent of our approved FY 2016 application. For many of us, that equals hundreds of thousands of unbudgeted dollars, which in turn means a loss of telemedicine services and layoffs, negatively impacting healthcare in our communities." Chugachmiut, a tribal organization, made an identical filing. Alaska Communications previously made a similar request (see 1706200049). The proposed 17.1 percent contribution factor takes effect Tuesday absent commission action.