Sanders Announces Portal for Rural Health Transformation Program Proposals

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that Arkansas has established a portal for stakeholders to submit proposals for the state's Rural Health Transformation Program application. On Tuesday, September 30, the Governor submitted a letter of intent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), notifying the federal agency that Arkansas plans to pursue funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program.

"President Trump and congressional Republicans delivered a much-needed lifeline to rural healthcare through the One, Big, Beautiful Bill and Arkansas is working hard to apply for the support that our smaller communities need. Even though Democrats have shut down the federal government, Arkansas still needs to prepare to submit its application for these funds next month," said Governor Sanders. "I encourage providers, nonprofits, and every other stakeholder involved to submit their ideas through this portal so that our team has all the information we need to compete for this funding effectively."

President Trump established the Rural Health Transformation Program through the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, providing $50 billion over a ten-year period for states to administer to strengthen rural communities across Arkansas by improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem. A portion of that funding will be provided through a formula established in the legislation, but states can receive additional funding by submitting proposals to CMS that help further the sustainability of rural healthcare.

Submissions should be submitted by October 10, 2025. Submissions made after October 10th will be reviewed at the Department's discretion. The State must submit its application for federal funding by November 5, 2025.

The link to the portal is available here.

The Governor's letter to CMS is available here.

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