Solutions
CHC Helps Hospitals Dial Down Telecom Expenses
Internet and telecommunications services are essential for rural and community hospitals to offer the highest quality of medical care to their respective areas. However, research shows that an estimated 25-30% of rural Americans don’t have access to broadband Internet. To further complicate matters, rural healthcare providers typically must pay more for these services compared to metro areas.
The FCC’s Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) is a federal program created to address these issues. It offers $10 billion in annual funding broken down into four programs which includes rural healthcare organizations.
Qualifying for USAC funds can be an arduous process. The timeline to plan, apply and petition for obtaining broadband connectivity funding can take months or even years. Hospitals need to be planning and applying to USAC at least 9 to 12 months in advance of when they need the resources.
This is where Community Hospital Corporation (CHC) can help. Accessing a government program, CHC Consulting, the management and consulting arm of CHC, helps eligible hospitals obtain federal funding earmarked specifically to address this discrepancy. With telecom and healthcare experts in-house, CHC Consulting is uniquely qualified to help community hospitals curb their telecommunications costs. We use our many years of exceptionally deep experience in and thorough understanding of USAC’s complex requirements to help our clients get their fair share of this funding.
CASE IN POINT
CommonSpirit Health Overcomes USAC Funding Challenges
One striking example of a health system reaping the benefits of outsourcing the USAC funding process to CHC Consulting is CommonSpirit Health, which operates 2,200 care sites in 24 states. Impressed with CHC Consulting’s capabilities, CommonSpirit engaged CHC’s team to perform the work required for the massive task of locating all broadband connections, analyzing locations and invoices and confirming USAC funding eligibility for each site. CHC Consulting worked meticulously for months to locate internet and telecom connections at CommonSpirit’s hospitals, clinics, data centers and other facilities. In some instances, we identified services, website addresses, and links that were not listed at some of their facilities or in corporate records. CHC Consulting was instrumental in helping the organization qualify for five times more USAC funding than the prior year.
FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR RURAL HOSPITALS
Each year, USAC makes available over $700 million in funding through the Rural Health Care (RHC) programs to ensure that qualifying rural healthcare providers — or urban-area hospitals that draw from rural areas or have rural clinics — can obtain telecom services at rates comparable to urban providers.
With combined telecom, IT and healthcare expertise, our experts know the program and process inside out, and can help with the onerous application process. Applying and following through on behalf of healthcare providers, CHC Consulting can save hospitals and clinics up to 95 percent on telecom costs.
“It’s not a set dollar amount that you get or don’t get by applying. Having an expert negotiate on your behalf maximizes the funding you receive and the savings you realize,” says Whittney Walker, CHC’s Vice President of Telecom Services.
“You can apply for the funding without making a single change and simply pay less for what you already have in place, but many hospitals take advantage of this opportunity to secure better pricing and reimbursements for telecommunications upgrades and improvements,” she adds.
OUR CUSTOMIZED SERVICE
Turnkey Solution: CHC Consulting takes charge of Funding Process Management including strategy, eligibility and application, and the RFP, bidding and negotiation processes. We also help with documentation to USAC and ongoing monitoring and reapplication to USAC in future years.
Program Evaluation and Planning: We analyze your hospital’s current telecommunications services and costs. Based on that information, we make recommendations to improve your service and reduce your cost.
Training and Support: Onsite or web-based support and training options for your staff.
HCF Consortium Setup: CHC Consulting helps qualified healthcare providers establish their own consortium and obtain funding.
USAC Program Denial Appeal Support: CHC Consulting can jump in and work on your behalf to adjudicate denied funding requests.
THE CHC CONSULTING DIFFERENCE
Our experience and expertise along with our mission to help hospitals set us apart from other USAC and HCF consultants who take a higher percentage of USAC funding as payment for their services.