All 50 states will receive, beginning this year, a portion of the $50 billion allocated for rural health in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ enacted last year. The $50 billion was a demand by Senate Republicans to counter significant cuts to Medicaid and other health programs under the law. Read the CMS press release here.
The $50 billion will be allocated over five years ($10 billion each year) with half the amount divided evenly among states and the remaining allocated based on factors described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, including individual state metrics around rurality and current or proposed state policy actions that enhance access and quality of care in rural communities.
CMS has also established a Office of Rural Health Transformation (ORHT), which the Agency says will “guide states in implementing their rural health transformation plans, provide technical assistance, coordinate federal and state partnerships, and ensure strong oversight and accountability throughout the five-year program.”