The entrance of Microsoft and Google into the health-records business has complicated an already tricky legal terrain, University of Pennsylvania medical and business faculty members told a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in Washington Tuesday. Giving patients control over their records “raises a lot of questions with few answers,” said Arnold Rosoff, Wharton School professor of legal studies and business ethics. Their pessimism about the implementation of personal health records (PHRs) contrasted with the can- do spirit of legislators pushing health information technology legislation in a related press conference. (See separate report in this issue.)
The FCC wants comment on a petition by Palmerton Telephone and Northeastern Pennsylvania Telephone seeking waiver of a filing deadline for receiving of universal service funds. Comments are due July 7, replies July 22.
The Nebraska Public Service Commission capped state high-cost subsidies for rural telecom service and required better accounting of how recipient telcos spend the subsidy money. The state universal service fund last year paid $71 million in high-cost subsidies to Qwest and 47 other local exchange providers. Qwest last year got $32.6 million from the state fund, supported by a 7 percent surcharge on billed intrastate phone charges. The PSC said cap levels and new accountability rules will be set later this year, taking effect in 2009. The PSC said caps and increased accountability don’t mean telcos are overspending or misusing state subsidy money, but will correct a situation that obscures abuses and honest errors. The PSC said subsidy caps mean companies will have to justify universal service subsidies exceeding cap levels. Expanded accounting will help ensure subsidy money serves the intended purposes, it said.
The Verizon Wireless-Alltel merger announced Thursday may face a tough regulatory fight, as the companies seek a ruling before 2008 ends, industry sources said. Public interest groups have raised concerns, as has Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who chairs the House telecom subcommittee. Verizon Wireless, which is buying the 700 MHz C-block, has an extremely strong spectrum position nationally. The company said it will buy Alltel for $5.9 billion and assume $22.2 billion in debt, for a total value of $28.1 billion.
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law creating a state map of broadband availability for use in devising ways to get broadband to unserved areas. SB-215 directs the state Office of Information Technology, the Governor’s Innovation Council, other state and local government agencies and the state’s broadband providers to collaborate in mapping areas served, unserved areas likely to see service soon and unserved areas unlikely to get service for a long time. The map, due by April 2009, must show speeds available. The mapping study must address state incentives for broadband investment in unserved areas and the most efficient infrastructure for reaching unserved areas. The project will be funded from grants, gifts and the state universal service fund.
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed a law creating a state map of broadband availability for use in devising ways to get broadband to unserved areas. SB-215 directs the state Office of Information Technology, the Governor’s Innovation Council, other state and local government agencies and the state’s broadband providers to collaborate in mapping areas served, unserved areas likely to see service soon and unserved areas unlikely to get service for a long time. The map, due by April 2009, must show speeds available. The mapping study must address state incentives for broadband investment in unserved areas and the most efficient infrastructure for reaching unserved areas. The project will be funded from grants, gifts and the state universal service fund.
Rural wireless carriers made clear in reply comments on three Universal Service Fund rulemaking notices that the FCC could face legal challenge if it kills the identical-support rule. VoIP carriers and American Indian tribes, meanwhile, entered the debate over a USF overhaul, urging a broadband- specific fund. They had sat out an earlier comment round.
The FCC should do as the Agriculture Department does if it adopts Universal Service Fund support for broadband, the Free State Foundation said in reply comments for three ongoing USF reform proceedings. The subsidy program should emulate DoA’s Rural Development Telecommunications Program, “which provides support for targeted capital investments, not ongoing operating expenses,” said FSF President Randolph May. The model would be “better able to take advantage of competition and newer technologies” and “target subsidies to low-income individuals in high-cost areas,” he said.
The FCC seeks comment on two appeals of Universal Service Administrative Co. rulings. Fort HealthCare wants the FCC to review a USAC decision to deny requests for rural healthcare funding in 2006. The Franciscan Skemp Waukon Clinic wants the FCC to review USAC denials in 2005 and 2006. Comments are due June 30, replies July 14.
The largest-ever internal FCC probe might have been less vulnerable to complaints of inadequacy had investigators spoken with more current and former agency leaders, the Office of Inspector General said Monday. In its twice yearly review of its efforts, the office addressed criticism by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps. All three termed the report a whitewash (CD Oct 9 p2). Besides describing efforts to interview two former Media Bureau officials who claimed their bosses discouraged the reports’ release, the IG’s analysis said it might have been a good idea to talk to FCC members and former Chairman Michael Powell about complaints that media-ownership reports were quashed.