Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
All 50 States Receive Large Chunks Of $50B Rural Health Fund, With Caveats
Fierce Healthcare: Rural Health Transformation Program Awards Announced—Here's Who's Getting The Most In FY2026
Texas and Alaska will receive the largest amount of funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program in fiscal year 2026, while New Jersey and Connecticut will see the least, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last Monday. (Muoio, 12/29)
CMS.gov: How Much Each State Received For Rural Health Care
See the complete list of 50 states. (12/29)
Talking Points Memo: Rural Health Fund Awarded To All 50 States, But Trump Admin Can Still ‘Claw Back’ Cash
Since the funding will be recalculated annually over the life of the five-year program, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz reportedly said in a call with reporters that the administration could “claw back” funds if a state doesn’t enact policies it committed to in its application. Searing suggested that was a possibility in November, telling TPM that CMS “can do pretty much what they want and the states can’t complain about it.” (Jones, 1/3)
WCAX: Will Vermont's $195M Rural Health Care Investment Offset Medicaid Cuts?
While many are cheering Monday's funding announcement, other health organizations are worried about simultaneous federal Medicaid cuts. (Cutler, 12/30)
