FCC Wants Your Take on Rural Telehealth Tweaks
Published Date: 8/31/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comments on the scope of the similar service and rural area comparability requirements, comments on possible improvements to, or replacements of, our existing cost study method of determining rural telecommunications rates, comments on possible methods of promoting the use of lower-cost technologies intended to provide backup services, comments on a proposal to establish an eligible services list for the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program, comments on whether to adopt performance metrics to expedite the processing of RHC Program funding requests, and comments on whether to eliminate the approval requirement of evergreen contracts and an annual report requirement.
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 9 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Change 30% Speed Similarity Rule
The FCC is asking whether to keep or change the current rule that treats services within plus-or-minus 30% of a requested speed as “similar services.” They ask how to adjust prices when speeds differ and whether removing the 30% rule would let providers use more commercial rates to justify rural health-care rates.
Reduce Cost-Study Paperwork Burden
The FCC is seeking comment on reducing the heavy evidentiary requirements for Method 3 cost studies (company financials, cost allocations, audited statements, demand projections, and geographic density data) and on whether standardized templates could make cost studies less costly and faster to review.
Use Wholesale Rates As Alternatives
The FCC proposes allowing wholesale rates charged to other carriers to be used as a justification for rural Telecom Program rates, subject to documentation (invoices/contracts) and safeguards. The FCC also asks whether an added rate-of-return should be capped (for example, at 9.75%).
Permit Previously Approved Rates Permanently
The FCC is asking whether the temporary waivers that let providers rely on previously approved rates (waivers used for funding years 2024–2027) should be made permanent, and whether limits (for example, how recent an approved rate must be or time limits on continued reliance) are needed.
Allow Rate Projections for Different Bandwidths
The FCC seeks comment on allowing providers to use rate projections—interpolation or extrapolation—based on approved rates to justify rural rates at different bandwidths, and whether projections should be limited (for example to interpolation, or to rates approved within the past two years).
Limit Support For High-Cost Backup Services
The FCC asks whether the RHC Program should distinguish primary vs. secondary (backup) services and limit support for secondary services to lower-cost technologies or cap secondary service cost/performance to the primary service, so backup costs “reasonably reflect” secondary use.
Create RHC Program Eligible Services List
The FCC proposes adopting an official eligible services list for the RHC Program (modeled on the E-Rate list) to clarify which telecommunications, broadband services, and equipment are supported, and asks whether updates should be made as-needed with delegation to the Wireline Competition Bureau.
Adopt Application Processing Targets
The FCC is considering performance metrics to speed RHC Program application processing, including adopting a September 1 target (used for E-Rate) to issue funding commitments or denials for 'workable' requests, or another deadline with exceptions for complex cases.
Remove Evergreen Contract Approval Requirement
The FCC asks whether to eliminate the current rule that requires USAC to approve multi-year 'evergreen' contracts (Sec. 54.622(i)(3)) before applicants can use the competitive-bidding exemption, following the E-Rate approach where USAC approval is not required.
Propose Deleting HCF Annual Report
The FCC tentatively proposes deleting the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) annual report requirement (Sec. 54.618) that currently requires each HCF applicant to file a report by September 30 for the preceding funding year; the FCC notes HCF accounted for 56.8% of RHC funding commitments in funding year 2024.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-17761, Maximizing Efficiencies in Universal Service Administration
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks to improve the administration of the Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund) by seeking comment on four areas related to USF administration: current USF administration processes, i.e., the processes used by Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to administer the USF and the Commission's oversight of those processes; the structure of USF administration, that is, USAC's role and responsibilities related to USF administration; operating costs associated with USF administration; and the impact of USAC's Board of Directors on USF administration.
2026-17763, Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
2026-17765, Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
2026-17766, Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
2026-17516, Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
2026-17508, Upper C-Band (3.98-4.2 GHz); Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band; Correction
The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on July 31, 2026. The text of the Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration inadvertently contained minor editorial errors and incorrectly restated the number of years provided in the definitions of the first and second performance benchmarks, which are corrected as detailed below. We make this correction to improve the clarity and internal consistency of the document.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-17764, Section 898(c) Transition Rule for Allocating Foreign Taxes and Section 960(d)(4) Foreign Tax Credit Disallowance; Correction
The IRS fixed some details in their new rules about how foreign taxes are handled for certain companies, especially after a tax deferral option was removed. If you deal with foreign tax credits or earnings from foreign companies, these changes could affect your tax filings. Comments on these updates are open until September 17, 2026, so now’s the time to speak up!
Next: 2026-17774, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Seeks To Dismiss Twenty-Four Mooted or Outdated Petitions
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks to assess the continuing interest in certain petitions that were filed between 2003 and 2023. The Commission plans to dismiss the petitions with prejudice unless a petitioner or other interested party files a letter in the relevant docket specifying that it objects to the dismissal of the petition and the reason for such objection.