Rural Health Transformation Program

Helping Utahns live safe and
healthy lives

Utah awarded $195 million from CMS for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is pleased to announce the successful first-year award of Utah’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Utah’s first-year award from CMS totals $195,743,566.

CMS announced on December 29, 2025, that “all 50 states will receive awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion initiative established under President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation (Public Law 119-21) to strengthen and modernize healthcare in rural communities across the country. This unprecedented federal investment will help states expand access to care in rural communities, strengthen the rural health workforce, modernize rural facilities and technology, and support innovative models that bring high-quality, dependable care closer to home.”

The award comes after the successful submission of Utah's RHTP application.

Utah's RHTP Application Summary

Utah's RHTP Full Project Narrative

This award represents a vital opportunity to expand healthcare access, improve generational health, and strengthen the financial stability of healthcare facilities across Utah’s rural communities. DHHS is proud of the comprehensive, innovative, and forward thinking initiatives submitted and inspired by the transformative potential they hold.

DHHS would like to extend its gratitude to the dedicated workgroup leads, workgroup members, and all partners and community members who participated throughout this intensive process. Your expertise, time, and commitment were critical to shaping this plan and application, as well as securing the award.

If you have any questions or would like to join our contact list for updates, email us at [email protected].

Securing a landmark federal investment to reshape rural healthcare

Download a PDF summary

Part I: The opportunity

The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), created by H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), represents a 5-year opportunity to catalyze system-wide change and address core health challenges in Utah’s rural communities.

Utah’s expected baseline share

$500m

$100 million per year to be distributed during FY2026-FY2030

Utah’s competitive workload share

up to $500M

To be determined based on rural factors and on application

Part II: Utah’s application submitted to CMS November 5

Utah’s comprehensive plan, built on extensive stakeholder engagement and aligned with the CMS Notice of Funding Opportunity, organizes its efforts around four strategic goals to improve outcomes, access, and quality while strengthening workforce in rural communities. Utah plans to drive progress on these outcomes through seven broad initiatives in partnership with state, local, tribal, and community stakeholders across rural Utah.

Make rural Utahns healthy

PATH supports physical and behavioral health to foster lifelong wellness.

Workforce development

RISE invests to build, recruit, and retain healthcare workforce.

Innovation and access

SHIFT seeks to transform care through capital infrastructure investment.
FAST furthers core financial and care delivery models.
LIFT supports scalable and sustainable telehealth strategies.

Technology innovation

SUPPORT advances data and administrative infrastructure.
LINCS facilitates interoperability and secure data exchange.

Part III: The path forward

DHHS is actively preparing in anticipation of the Notice of Award. Community readiness will position stakeholders for effective implementation. Rural partners can convene, assess capacity and gaps, identify shared priorities, establish formal collaborations, and plan for sustainability. Through coordinated efforts, this opportunity can bring critical resources to transform Utah’s rural healthcare systems and support the health and well-being of rural Utahns.

2025 RHTP Timeline of events from Sept 15 and CMS's release of NOFO to Dec 31 when CMS announces awards

Utah Rural Health Transformation Program Informational webinar

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) held an informational webinar on Tuesday 12/2 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. MDT over Zoom.

The Utah RHTP team provided an application overview and process update with time for questions. Please note: funding decisions, applications, and processes were outside the scope of this meeting.

The Q&A segment begins at timestamp 21:03 in the recording. If you have any additional questions or would like to join our contact list for updates, email us at [email protected].

Webinar recording

Passcode: B0=&rWR=

A woman speaks with her grandfather about his low mood

View previous recordings of our stakeholder meetings:

RHTP Stakeholder meeting - September 24, 2025

Frequently asked questions

Rural Health Transformation Frequently Asked Questions (CMS)

Text overview of H.R. 1

HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), establishes a five-year Rural Health Transformation Program to enhance rural healthcare access, infrastructure, and workforce development.

Utah is expected to receive a minimum of $100 million annually from federal fiscal year 2026 to 2030. To access these funds, Utah submitted a rural health transformation plan to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and expects to receive a notice of award by December 31, 2025.

While this funding may partially offset projected decreases in federal Medicaid spending for rural Utah due to HR 1, it is also a significant opportunity to reshape rural healthcare and aligns with Governor Cox's strategic objective to improve rural healthcare access. Learn more about this program.

CMS overview of rural health transformation

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently posted this page, which outlines the program's strategic goals.

If you would like to learn more about the Rural Health Transformation Program you can visit the CMS program webpage, or access the Grant Opportunity information linked here.

Notice of funding opportunity