Community Health Centers Highlighted in the $50 Billion Notice of Funding Opportunity to States for the Rural Health Transformation Program

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The RHT Program, authorized through the recent enactment of H.R.1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), aims to transform healthcare delivery in rural America by helping state governments improve access, quality, and outcomes for their communities.

NACHC is grateful to the Trump administration for recognizing the key role Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in providing primary care and fighting chronic disease in rural America. At least one in five Americans, and as many as one in three in some areas, get care from a CHC.

NACHC worked closely with Congress and CMS during the H.R.1 negotiations to ensure that CHCs and Primary Care Associations (PCAs) are recognized as key stakeholders and providers in the Rural Health Transformation Program. One CHC, Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers in Western Wisconsin, is even highlighted in the NOFO as a project model for their innovative Help Team that connects patients to essential services, such as healthcare benefits, insurance, transportation needs and prescription drug programs. Scenic Bluffs also provides patients with information about area food pantries, thrift stores, and community care applications.

Scenic Bluff's approach exemplifies how the RHT Program's strategic framework can be effectively implemented at the community level. Stay tuned for NACHC's next blog post that will highlight next steps for CHCs and PCAs to apply and take advantage of this opportunity.