USAC Estimates $911 Million Needed for Rural Health Care Program

The Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC’s) estimated total Rural Health Care (RHC) Program demand for Funding Year 2026 is $911.25 million, including the gross demand estimate of $882.19 million for the Telecommunications (Telecom) and Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Programs and the projected USAC administrative expenses of $29.06 million. Of the $882.19 million gross demand estimate for the Telecom Program and the HCF Program, $166.75 million represents applications seeking support for upfront payments and multi-year commitments in the HCF Program. As of April 30, 2026, the total funds available for carry-forward for the RHC Program were $226.42 million.