November 10, 2026- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced $10 billion in awards to all 50 states for the second year of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). With implementation underway in every state, the second year of funding will help states build on early progress and deliver lasting improvements in access, quality, and health outcomes for rural Americans.
In the second year of the program, states will build on previous momentum by advancing initiatives from their approved state-developed transformation plans. Depending on each state’s priorities, these initiatives may include efforts to improve prevention and chronic disease management, create sustainable access to care, strengthen the rural health workforce, advance innovative care and payment models, and put modern technology and data to work for rural patients and providers, according to CMS.