National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier – News Update
January 4, 2020 – The National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier is a centralized system that determines whether consumers are eligible to receive Lifeline benefits. It is managed by the Universal Service Administrative Company. Information on the launch status of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier in U.S. states and territories can be accessed using the following links:
June 2018: Colorado, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming
October 2018: Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota
December 2018: Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee
February 2019: Alaska, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maine, Northern Marianas Islands, Rhode Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
March 2019: Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan
June 2019: Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia
October 2019: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Washington
December 2019: Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin
December 2019: California, Oregon, and Texas
Lifeline providers, however, should note that even when the National Verifier is fully launched, providers remain responsible for any fraud that forms the basis of their claims for Lifeline reimbursement, and the National Verifier does not provide a “safe harbor” for Lifeline providers that improperly claim or obtain reimbursement from the universal service fund. More information can be found on USAC’s National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier website, and the National Verifier launch page. Below is an update on news about the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier.
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FCC Announces Modified Soft Launch Of National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier In California, Oregon, And Texas
December 18, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced the modified soft launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier in California, Oregon, and Texas. The National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier is a centralized system that determines whether subscribers are eligible for Lifeline benefits. It is managed by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). A modified soft launch is being implemented because these three states operate their own comprehensive systems to prevent duplicative federal Lifeline support, instead of using the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD). And, each state has its own system in place to determine subscriber eligibility for the federal Lifeline program in addition to its own state-based low-income discount program. According to the Bureau’s Public Notice, the National Verifier will operate in these three states by using state eligibility data to validate Lifeline providers’ claims for federal Lifeline support and will perform reviews of state eligibility information and documentation to ensure that state eligibility determinations are made in accordance with the FCC’s rules. During the soft launch, consumers in California, Oregon, and Texas will continue to apply for the federal Lifeline benefit through their state’s application process, and each state will continue to perform eligibility determinations and check for duplicate subscribers. Each state will regularly submit necessary data for the National Verifier to validate Lifeline providers’ claims for support. Additional information on the National Verifier’s modified soft launch in California, Oregon, and Texas is available online from USAC.
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Full Launch! National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier Use Required For All New Lifeline Enrollments In Nine States
December 18, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced the full launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all new enrollments in nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington. The National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier is a centralized system that determines whether subscribers are eligible for Lifeline benefits. It is managed by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Beginning on January 22, 2020, all Lifeline providers in those nine states must use the National Verifier’s eligibility determination process for all consumers applying for Lifeline service and must cease using legacy eligibility processes. In addition, annual recertification will now be conducted by the National Verifier for all Lifeline consumers in these nine states. USAC will continue after January 22, 2020 to verify that subscribers in the National Verifier for the nine states are eligible to receive Lifeline service through the process that was initiated during the soft launch on October 11, 2019.
Also beginning on January 22, 2020, consumers in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington will be able to check their eligibility for Lifeline service by using the National Verifier consumer portal at CheckLifeline.org. Consumers, as well as service providers, will also be able to mail Lifeline program forms and documentation to USAC for manual review using the following address: USAC Lifeline Support Center, P.O. Box 7081, London, KY 40742. Additional information is available on USAC’s National Verifier website.
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National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier To Soft Launch In Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, And Wisconsin On December 16
December 9, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced that the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier will soft launch on December 16, 2019 in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier is a centralized system that determines whether subscribers are eligible for Lifeline benefits. It is managed by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). During the soft launch, Lifeline providers in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin will be able to become familiar with the National Verifier by conducting sample transactions and test its use alongside their systems and business processes. Lifeline providers in those five states have been instructed to not begin any recertifications for Lifeline subscribers as of December 16, 2019, and should finish any currently open recertifications for Lifeline subscribers in these states no later than February 21, 2020. USAC will begin reverification of existing Lifeline subscribers in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin during the soft launch period. Thus far, the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier has launched in 42 states. Lifeline providers can find additional information on USAC’s National Verifier website.
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National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier To Soft Launch In Nine States On October 11
September 26, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced that the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier will soft launch on October 11, 2019 in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Washington. During the soft launch, Lifeline providers will have access to the National Verifier, allowing them to become familiar with the system and adjust and test their processes before use of the National Verifier becomes mandatory. They will also have access to a pre-production test environment to conduct sample transactions and train employees. As explained in the Bureau’s Public Notice, Lifeline providers in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and Washington should not begin any recertifications for Lifeline subscribers as of October 11, 2019 and should finish any currently open recertifications for Lifeline subscribers in these states no later than December 17, 2019. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will begin using the National Verifier to re-verify the eligibility of existing Lifeline subscribers in those states during the soft launch period, and expects the reverification process to continue after the full launch date. Lifeline providers can find additional information on USAC’s National Verifier Launch Page.
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Full Launch! National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier Use Required For All New Lifeline Enrollments In Eleven States
September 23, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced the full launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all new enrollments in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Starting on October 23, 2019, eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) in these eleven states will be required to use the National Verifier’s eligibility determination process for all consumers applying for Lifeline services and must cease using legacy eligibility processes for prospective Lifeline subscribers. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will continue after October 23, 2019 to verify that subscribers in the National Verifier for these eleven states are eligible to receive Lifeline services through the process that was initiated during the Verifier’s soft launch on June 25, 2019. Additionally, annual recertification will now be conducted by the National Verifier for all Lifeline consumers in these eleven states. More information is available from the Bureau’s Public Notice.
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Lifeline Program: FCC Establishes Automated Connection Between Medicaid Program And Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier
September 18, 2019 – The FCC has announced that it has established a nationwide automated connection between the Medicaid program and the Lifeline National Eligibility Verifier. The connection between the Medicaid and Lifeline databases means that the eligibility of up to 60% of the Lifeline-eligible population can be confirmed automatically by the National Verifier. This will streamline the Lifeline eligibility process for both subscribers and service providers, and result in more effective protection against waste, fraud, and abuse. The National Eligibility Verifier, created in 2016, operates as an independent third-party eligibility verification process for Lifeline subscribers. To date, the National Verifier has launched in 38 states and territories, and expects to go live in the rest of the U.S. by the end of the 2020. The FCC has established automated connections with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and with twelve states, and is working to establish more automated connections with other existing state and federal programs.
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National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier To Soft Launch In 11 States On June 25
June 17, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced that the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) will soft launch on June 25, 2019 in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. During the soft launch, Lifeline providers will have access to the National Verifier, allowing them to become familiar with the system and adjust and test their processes before use of the National Verifier becomes mandatory. They will also have access to a pre-production test environment to conduct sample transactions and train employees. Lifeline providers in the 11 states should not begin any recertifications for Lifeline subscribers as of June 25, 2019, and should finish any currently open recertifications for Lifeline subscribers no later than August 30, 2019. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will begin using the National Verifier to re-verify the eligibility of existing Lifeline subscribers in the 11 states during the soft launch period, and expects the reverification process to continue after the full launch date. Lifeline providers can find additional information on USAC’s National Verifier Launch Page.
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National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier Launches In Four More States
April 5, 2019 – The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced the launch of the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier for all new enrollments in Alaska, American Samoa, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, the Northern Mariana Islands, Rhode Island, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Starting May 7, 0219, Lifeline service providers in these states and territories must use the National Verifier to check the eligibility of all applicants before enrolling them in the universal service Lifeline program. Additionally, consumers in these states and territories can apply for Lifeline directly through the National Verifier online consumer portal or by mailing a paper application to the Lifeline Support Center. More information about the National Verifier is available online from USAC.
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HHS Updates Federal Poverty Guidelines, Lifeline Providers Advised To Update Forms
February 1, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published the 2019 Federal Poverty Guidelines. There are three separate sets of guidelines: the 48 contiguous U.S. states and the District of Columbia; Alaska; and Hawaii. Under the FCC’s rules for the Lifeline program, consumers qualify for Lifeline benefits if their gross annual household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has updated the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier web portal application and paper application to reflect the 2019 poverty guidelines. Lifeline service providers have 30 days from February 5, 2019, to update their Lifeline application forms and systems. However, USAC advises those Lifeline providers that have state-issued forms to follow their state’s guidance.
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National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier Hard Launches In Five States
January 15, 2019 – The Universal Service Administrative Company has announced that the Lifeline program’s National Eligibility Verifier has hard launched in Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Lifeline service providers in these states and Guam must use the National Verifier to check the eligibility of all applicants before enrolling them in the universal service Lifeline program. Additionally, consumers in these states and Guam can apply for Lifeline directly through the National Verifier online consumer portal or by mailing a paper application to the Lifeline Support Center. More information about the National Verifier is available online from USAC.
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