Lifeline Customer Recertification in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable

NARUC Staff Subcommittee on TelecommunicationsSummer 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 re-

certification

• 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 re-

certification

• 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

 

Non-responding subscribers

Subscribers responding

that they are no longer eligible

Subscribers de-enrolled as a

result of a finding of ineligibility

through accessing a database

Granby 49 0 0

Verizon 29,085 0 0

Richmond 0 0 0

Virgin Mobile 48,760 424 0

Tracfone 22,439 0 8,623

Total (% of de-enrolled subscribers)

100,333 (91.7%)

424 (0.4%) 8,623 (7.9%)

De-enrollment by Type

Summary of Recertification in MA• 331,120 MA Lifeline subscribers contacted or reviewed for re-certification

• 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.