CMS details rural health fund application process

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released additional details on the application process for the Rural Health Transformation Program. CMS said applications will be released by mid-September and must be submitted by early November. The agency will determine recipients by Dec. 31. The program, established as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will fund $50 billion to rural providers from fiscal year 2026 to FY 2030. The AHA Aug. 11 urged CMS to prioritize payments to rural hospitals for workforce recruitment and retention, infrastructure and telehealth services, and to report RHTP funds separately on Medicare cost reports.