Chairman Pai's Response to Reps Eshoo and Doyle Regarding the Rural Health Care Program

On March 21, 2020 Reps Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to urge the FCC to immediately loosen requirements of the Rural Health Care Program (RHCP) to expand eligibility to more healthcare facilities. They wrote, "Following Hurricane Katrina, the FCC loosened restrictions on the RHCP to allow non-rural providers to apply for support under the program. In 2005, the FCC’s rationale for this decision was that 'Hurricane Katrina has also severely limited the ability of healthcare providers in the affected areas to respond effectively to both injuries caused by the hurricane and ongoing medical needs of the population.' Unfortunately, this statement applies almost perfectly to our current pandemic as well."

On May 15, Chairman Pai responded by saying, "Although you ask about loosening the requirements of the RHC Program to expand eligibility to all healthcare facilities nationwide, I would note all healthcare facilities nationwide already are eligible (with some needing to apply through consortium) except for those (like for-profit hospitals) that Congress has prohibited from participating. What is more, I believe that more targeted efforts, such as the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, are better suited to address the immediate demands of the pandemic."