Welcome to RHC Connect – FCC Form 465

RHC Connect is the web-based system used to host the form and was updated for Funding Year (FY)2022 to improve user experience. This modernized portal is easier to navigate and allows RHC program reviewers to approve funding requests faster, so that participants can benefit from the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) and Telecommunications (Telecom) Program sooner.

RHC Connect bridges the gap between our external stakeholders and the resources to obtain Universal Service Fund (USF) funding. This funding helps to connect rural communities with healthcare services, and represents USAC’s commitment to transparency, customer service, and communication with our applicants. Providing these connections is the sum total of what the RHC program supports: healthcare provider (HCP) applicants, service providers, and the rural communities they represent.

Updates to the FCC Form 465

For eligibility determinations, applicants in the Telecom Program will use the FCC Form 460, which will eliminate the need for Telecom Program participants to seek an eligibility determination every time they engage in competitive bidding. Although the platform has changed, the FCC Form 465 itself did not for the purposes of competitive bidding. No preparation for the platform change is required by you.

Please note the following changes per FCC Order 23-110:

• The FCC Form 460 will now be used to determine eligibility in both the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program and the Telecommunications (Telecom) Program. This eliminates the need for Telecom Program participants to seek an eligibility determination every time they engage in competitive bidding. The FCC Form 465 will be used for competitive bidding purposes only.
• Health care providers are now permitted to be granted conditional eligibility, thus allowing them to initiate competitive bidding and request funding while awaiting a final eligibility determination.

For more information, read FCC Order 23-110.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of how to submit the FCC Form 465 in RHC Connect, utilize the RHC Connect User Guide. Account holders should respond to Information Requests through RHC Connect only. Please use the Information Request tip sheet as a resource.