The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program was authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation (Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21), previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to empower states to strengthen rural communities across the country by improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem. The RHT Program is a five year (FFY2026-2030) $50 billion federal funding opportunity. States had to apply by November 5, 2025 to qualify for funding. In the application, states had to identify how funding would be used to transform rural health care by committing to three or more activities identified by CMS that aligned with the following strategic goals:
1. Make rural America healthy again by promoting preventive health and addressing root causes of diseases.
2. Ensuring sustainable access by helping rural provider become long-term access points for care by improving efficiency and sustainability.
3. Supporting workforce development by attracting and retaining a highly skilled health care workforce through strengthening recruitment and retention in rural communities.
4. Providing innovative care by sparking the growth of innovative care models to improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and promote flexible care arrangements.
5. Promoting technology innovation by fostering the use of innovative technologies that promote efficient care delivery, data security, and access to digital health tools by rural facilities, providers, and patients.
Click HERE to download the full report as of April 22, 2026.