Section 54.601 - Health care provider eligibility(a)Eligible health care providers.(1) Only an entity that is either a public or non-profit health care provider, as defined in this subpart, shall be eligible to receive support under this subpart.(2) Each separate site or location of a health care provider shall be considered an individual health care provider for purposes of calculating and limiting support under this subpart.(b)Determination of health care provider eligibility for the Rural Health Care Program.(1) Before funding year 2025, health care providers in the Healthcare Connect Fund Program may certify to the eligibility of particular sites at any time prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for services to initiate competitive bidding for the site. Applicants who utilize a competitive bidding exemption must provide eligibility information for the site to the Administrator prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for funding for the site. Health care providers must also notify the Administrator within 30 days of a change in the health care provider's name, site location, contact information, or eligible entity type.(2) Effective for funding year 2025, applicants in the Rural Health Care Program may certify to the eligibility of particular sites prior to, or concurrently with, filing a request for services to initiate competitive bidding for the site. Applicants who utilize a competitive bidding exemption must provide eligibility information for the site to the Administrator prior to, or concurrently with, filing a Request for Funding for the site. Health care providers must notify the Administrator within 30 days of a change in the health care provider's name, site location, contact information, or eligible entity type.(c)Conditional approval of eligibility. Effective for funding year 2025:(1) An entity that does not yet meet all eligibility requirements under the Rural Health Care Program may request and receive a conditional approval of eligibility from the Administrator if the entity provides documentation showing that it satisfies the following requirements:(i) The entity is or reasonably expects to qualify as a public or non-profit health care provider as defined in § 54.600(b) by an estimated eligibility date;(ii) The entity is or reasonably expects to be physically located in a rural area defined in § 54.600(e) by the estimated eligibility date or, for the Healthcare Connect Fund Program only, is not located in a rural area but is or plans to be a member of a majority-rural Healthcare Connect Fund Program consortium that satisfies the eligible rural health care provider composition requirement set forth in § 54.607(b) by the estimated eligibility date; and(iii) The estimated eligibility date is in the same funding year as or in the next funding year of the date that the entity requests the conditional approval of eligibility.(2) An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility may conduct competitive bidding for the site. An entity engaging in competitive bidding with conditional approval of eligibility must provide a written notification to potential bidders that the entity's eligibility is conditional and specify the estimated eligibility date.(3) An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility may file a request for funding for the site during an application filing window opened for a funding year that ends after the estimated eligibility date. The Administrator shall not issue any funding commitments to applicants that have received conditional approval of eligibility only. Funding commitments may be issued only after such applicants receive formal approval of eligibility as described in paragraph (c)(4) of this section.(4) An entity that receives conditional approval of eligibility is expected to notify the Administrator, along with supporting documentation for the eligibility, within 30 days of its actual eligibility date. The actual eligibility date is the date that the entity qualifies as a public or non-profit health care provider as defined in § 54.600(b) and meets the requirements under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section. The actual eligibility date may be a different date from the estimated eligibility date. The Administrator shall formally approve the entity's eligibility if the entity meets the requirements for a public or non-profit health care provider defined in § 54.600(b) and the requirements under paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section. Upon the entity receiving a formal approval of eligibility, the Administrator may issue funding commitments covering a time period that starts no earlier than the entity's actual eligibility date and that is within the funding year for which support was requested.84 FR 54979, Oct. 11, 2019, as amended at 89 FR 1845, Jan. 11, 2024 84 FR 54979, 11/12/2019; 89 FR 1845, 77784, 9/24/2024