States to Get $50 Billion for Rural Health Care: What to Know

Rural hospitals in all 50 states can apply for federal funding to help them provide better, more dependable care starting in 2026. The Rural Health Transformation Program will provide $50 billion to “strengthen and modernize” health care for the more than 60 million Americans living in rural communities, according to a Dec. 29 statement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The funding will be distributed over five years, with $10 billion available each year from 2026 through 2030. First-year awards to states range from $147 million in New Jersey to $281 million in Texas. “This historic investment puts local hospitals, clinics, and health workers in control of their communities’ healthcare. Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, rural Americans will now have affordable health care close to home, free from bureaucratic obstacles,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr....