Transcript Lifeline Recertification in Massachusetts

Lifeline Customer Recertification
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Department of
Telecommunications and Cable
NARUC Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications
Summer Meeting - July 21, 2013
Summary of Recertification in MA
• 331,120 MA Lifeline subscribers contacted/reviewed for
recertification
• 109,380 subscribers, or 33% of all those contacted/reviewed, were
de-enrolled
*Source (throughout): FCC Form 555 (2013)
Summary of Recertification in MA
• 331,120 MA Lifeline subscribers contacted or reviewed for recertification
• 109,380 subscribers, or 33% of all those contacted or reviewed,
were de-enrolled
• The average de-enrollment rate for wireless ETCs (29%) was lower
than the de-enrollment rate for wireline ETCs (53%)
Summary of Recertification in MA
• 331,120 MA Lifeline subscribers contacted or reviewed for recertification
• 109,380 subscribers, or 33% of all those contacted or reviewed,
were de-enrolled
• The average de-enrollment rate for wireless ETCs (29%) was lower
than the de-enrollment rate for wireline ETCs (53%)
• 92% of de-enrollments were due to subscribers’ failures to
respond to ETCs’ direct contact to recertify
De-enrollment by Type
Non-responding
subscribers
Subscribers
responding
that they are
no longer
eligible
Subscribers deenrolled as a
result of a finding
of ineligibility
through accessing
a database
Granby
49
0
0
Verizon
29,085
0
0
0
0
0
Virgin Mobile
48,760
424
0
Tracfone
22,439
0
8,623
100,333 (91.7%)
424 (0.4%)
8,623 (7.9%)
Richmond
Total (% of
de-enrolled
subscribers)
Summary of Recertification in MA
• 331,120 MA Lifeline subscribers contacted or reviewed for recertification
• 109,380 subscribers, or 33% of all those contacted or reviewed,
were de-enrolled
• The average de-enrollment rate for wireless ETCs (29%) was lower
than the de-enrollment rate for wireline ETCs (53%)
• 92% of de-enrollments were due to subscribers’ failures to respond
to ETCs’ direct contact to recertify
• 99.7% of subscribers reviewed by accessing an eligibility database
were de-enrolled as ineligible
Options?
• The Lifeline Reform Order authorized states to
“supplement the federal re-certification
methodology with their own procedures
specifically tailored to state-specific program
requirements.” (¶ 140)
Options?
(for discussion purposes only)
• Mandate that USAC perform recertification for
ETCs
• Require ETCs to check duplicates and/or
eligibility database as part of recertification
• Require subscribers to prove with
documentation that they are still eligible
• Require multiple contacts, or certain types of
contacts
DTC Lifeline Investigation
• The DTC sought comment on:
– whether the recertification steps outlined in the
Lifeline Reform Order are sufficient to encourage
response from subscribers and prevent de-enrollment
of otherwise eligible Lifeline subscribers
– whether ETCs should take more action to retain
eligible Lifeline subscribers during the recertification
process
• Docket D.T.C. 13-4
• mass.gov/dtc
Thank you.