USAC Will Conduct all Lifeline De-Enrollments Under NV Reverification

Universal Service Administrative Co. will do all Lifeline de-enrollments itself, after some providers of the government-subsidized broadband and phone service for the poor and others said they might need to yank recipients whose eligibility wasn't newly verified. The Lifeline administrator's reminder was about a reverification process that has caused provider confusion as an FCC-mandated national verifier (NV) is rolled out in states.

"Recent reports indicate select service providers may be de-enrolling subscribers they believe have failed reverification," said a bulletin emailed Wednesday to Lifeline providers. "USAC will conduct all de-enrollments resulting from the reverification process." This may be a change from past practice.

"It’s unusual for USAC to effectuate de-enrollments," emailed Davis Wright's Danielle Frappier, a Lifeline provider lawyer. "Historically, USAC has directed carriers to de-enroll where necessary, which is a better approach given that the carrier has the relationship with the end user." The administrator wants to hear from Lifeline providers that de-enrolled consumers under the reverification process. It noted it hasn't de-enrolled "any consumers for failed reverifications."

NARUC's board voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a Lifeline resolution urging the FCC and USAC to ensure the NV accesses state databases required to automatically check users are eligible. Also at NARUC's winter meeting, a Senate committee chair and industry officials said utility policymakers must prepare for cyberattacks (see 1902130046). Lifeline provider attorneys told us Tuesday that providers had carried out de-enrollments under what they believed was USAC's policy (see 1902120023).

Apparent "miscommunication with the carrier community" led some providers to carry out de-enrollments under the NV reverification process, emailed Kelley Drye's John Heitmann, saying USAC should clarify the requirements. Providers "understood there to be deadlines by which they had to de-enroll," he said, before the administrator's clarification. "Among the options I have asked USAC to consider is to 're-dip' these at risk consumers in the [Medicaid] database when it comes online."

Deadlines were for providers to turn in reverification documents, a USAC spokesperson told us.

Heitmann welcomed USAC's efforts to assess and adjust the NV process overall, which has raised concerns among providers, state regulators and consumer advocates. "More access to state [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] databases is needed," emailed Heitmann. "The national access to the Medicaid database that USAC announced it had secured in December needs to be implemented. I am grateful to NARUC for providing a forum to draw attention to these critical issues, as it had done previously with the need for carrier [application programming interface] connectivity to the National Verifier. I am hopeful that USAC and the FCC take this opportunity to clearly communicate what is supposed to happen next."

Wheels on the Bus

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, hopes “the wheels stay on the bus” this week as current government funding runs out, she told NARUC's general gathering Wednesday. She seeks an end to “herky-jerky” moving from one continuing resolution to another. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources chairman also voiced optimism about developing an infrastructure bill. Without a government budget agreement, the FCC would mostly shut Tuesday (Monday's a holiday). The FCC is warning staff that if there is another partial federal shutdown, the agency lacks reserve funds to independently stay open (see 1902130046).

Cybersecurity must be a national priority because the threat is “real, persistent and absolutely increasing,” Murkowski said. China and Russia are capable of attacking American utilities, and an attack could "really, truly ground us to a halt,” she said.

Overlap between communications and other sectors is increasing, said Utilities Technology Council CEO Joy Ditto on a later panel. Agencies overseeing different sectors must “break down the stovepipes” and talk to each other to better prepare for cyberthreats, she said: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and FCC coordination is critical.

A state is in a unique position to be an advocate for its citizens during a regional disaster and articulate what should be top restoration priorities that will have biggest impact, recognizing not everything can be immediately restored, said CenturyLink Senior Director-National Security Kathryn Condello.