Rural Health Transformation Program

Applications Highlight Rural Health Targets

Chronic disease prevention. Greater access to mobile health services. Rural clinician recruitment. Improved emergency medical services. Technological advancements. These are among the priorities articulated by rural states in their applications for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds according to a Stateline analysis of the materials submitted by ten states with large rural populations. All 50 states submitted applications for a piece of the $50 billion pool that was part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to help offset some of the massive Medicaid cuts that were a major part of that legislation. Applicants for the Rural Transformation Program money [...]

joe2025-11-12T11:42:39-05:00November 12, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for November 6

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for October 31 – November 6. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Please note that most HHS and other health care-related agencies have indicated that they will not be announcing new policies, publishing proposed regulations, or updating their web sites during the current federal government shutdown; some are engaging in limited exceptions. Congress and the Shutdown Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) today told his caucus that he plans to bring the House-passed CR to yet another vote in the Senate on [...]

joe2025-11-06T21:35:12-05:00November 6, 2025|340b, Affordable Care Act, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

CMS Employees Return to Work

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has recalled 3000 employees – 47 percent of its workforce – furloughed earlier this month when the federal government shutdown began. In a published report, a CMS spokesperson explained that “In order to best serve the American people amid the Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment seasons, CMS is temporarily calling back all furloughed employees on Monday, October 27.” In addition to working on Medicare and Marketplace open enrollment, some of the employees returning to work also will participate in the review of applications for Rural Health Transformation Program funding. The deadline for states [...]

joe2025-10-29T11:35:05-04:00October 30, 2025|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare|

States Mull Pursuit of Rural Health Transformation Money

Support to grow their health care workforce, including new or expanded medical education programs to attract doctors and nurses. Doing more to address chronic medical conditions. Better coordination of care and greater use of technology. Making greater use of telehealth. Improving the local transportation infrastructure as a means of improving access to care. These are among the ideas that health care officials from almost every state discussed recently at a networking workshop held last week by the Health Policy Futures Lab to discuss how states might approach crafting proposals seeking a portion of the first half of the $50 billion [...]

joe2025-10-07T15:50:11-04:00October 8, 2025|Medicaid, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for September 18

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for September 12-18. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress Funding for the federal government expires on September 30. Members of Congress have not yet coalesced around a plan to fund the federal government when the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1, with House Republican and Democratic leaders releasing competing legislative texts for a short-term continuing resolution (CR). House Republicans have proposed a CR to last through November 21 with very few anomalies, or policy changes, outside of regular spending. [...]

joe2025-09-18T17:11:02-04:00September 18, 2025|340b, Affordable Care Act, Congress, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare disproportionate share, Medicare DSH, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, post-acute care, Telehealth|

Preparations for Rural Health Transformation Program Continue

When Congress enacted its FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill – the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” – it recognized that the Medicaid cuts in that legislation could have a damaging effect on some health care providers and the communities they serve and created a five-year, $50 billion “Rural Health Transformation Program” designed to help protect rural hospitals from some of the damage those cuts are expected to cause. Now, federal regulators are working to bring that program to life. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which will administer the program, has created a web site for the program. That [...]

joe2025-09-04T16:54:10-04:00September 8, 2025|Medicaid|

Federal Health Policy Update for September 4

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 29 – September 4. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate have returned to Washington D.C., where their focus has turned to funding for the federal government, which expires on September 30. Senior appropriators predict that Congress will pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open through at least mid-November. We expect any CR to include a number of health care extenders for programs that also expire after September 30, including for telehealth flexibilities, [...]

joe2025-09-04T15:15:10-04:00September 4, 2025|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid managed care, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for August 28

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 22-28. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress The House and Senate are in recess and will return to Washington D.C. on September 2. Funding for the federal government expires on September 30, as will a number of health care extenders, including for telehealth flexibilities, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, the Medicare-dependent hospital and low-volume hospital programs, and delays to reductions to Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) The CBO has written to congressional [...]

joe2025-08-28T15:48:29-04:00August 28, 2025|Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicare, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Coming Soon: The Rural Health Transformation Program

Federal health care officials are getting ready to bring the FY 2025 budget reconciliation bill’s “Rural Health Transformation Program” to life. Added to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” to provide assistance to rural hospitals that maintained that their existence would be jeopardized by the Medicaid cuts and other health care changes in the law, the Rural Health Transformation Fund will consist of $50 billion to be distributed to rural health care organizations over a five-year period. Half of that money will go to states that successfully apply it – the Department of Health and Human Services can reject states’ applications [...]

joe2025-08-07T17:03:39-04:00August 11, 2025|hospitals, Medicaid|