A program aimed at bolstering rural healthcare across the U.S., has drawn submissions from all 50 states, according to a recent announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“Fifty states submitted applications for the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program—a landmark initiative created under the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation [Public Law 119-21] to strengthen healthcare across rural America,” CMS said.

A source in the long-term care sector said there is interest in what the various state submissions may mean for the industry, but little is known at this point. A special priority for the profession is any aid the program may focus on workforce development in rural areas.

The application period, which ran from Sept. 15 through Nov. 5, 2025, invited every state to design a plan for transforming its rural healthcare system. Each proposal had to outline how states intend to expand access, enhance quality, and improve outcomes for patients through sustainable, state-driven innovation, CMS said.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is designed to help states strengthen rural health infrastructure and build enduring care systems. The effort has five strategic goals, including to:

• Make rural America healthy again: Support rural health innovations and promote preventive care.

• Sustainable access: Ensure rural providers can become long-term access points for care by improving efficiency and sustainability.

• Workforce development: Build and retain a strong rural healthcare workforce.

• Innovative care: Test new models of care delivery to improve rural health outcomes and lower the cost of care.

• Tech innovation: Expand use of technologies that promote access and efficiency in rural settings.

CMS said each of the submissions will go under review and states that meet the requirements and have approved applications will receive baseline funding—representing half of total available program funds—distributed equally among approved states.

CMS said it will announce approved awardees by Dec. 31, 2025, with funding distributed over five years beginning in federal Fiscal Year 2026. As states begin implementation, program officers from CMS’s Office of Rural Health Transformation will provide technical assistance and ongoing support to help states design, launch, and sustain initiatives that best serve their rural communities.

More information is at: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/rural-health-transformation-rht-program/rural-health-transformation-rht-program

Comments, or questions contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.