Groups Petition FCC to Reconsider, Clarify Rural Telehealth Rule

to delivering service throughout rural Alaska, nor does it recognize the dramatic differences between our regions and communities." Rule changes would lead to systemic underfunding of telecom needed to deliver healthcare services to hard-to-reach communities, the Republican said. Alaska Communications asked to promptly address all outstanding matters from the telehealth rulemaking. It said the FCC is better positioned than the Universal Service Administrative Co. to timely resolve questions about rural rate determinations. USTelecom has concerns about how the FCC will implement a new median rural rate framework, citing material errors or omissions, and "Alaska requires a different approach to setting a rural rate that is unique." The median rate calculation risks "defunding telehealth services for the neediest rural Alaskans," it said. The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition said USAC may have overstated nonrural telehealth expenditures, and the FCC should reconsider major policy changes based on such data. It also warned against deprioritizing funding for nonrural telehealth consortium participants. The North Carolina Telehealth Network Association and Southern Ohio Health Network asked the FCC to modify the definition of rural for the purposes of the program's eligibility.