DHHS briefs committee on $1B rural health transformation application and timeline
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Summary
DHHS told lawmakers Utah applied to CMS for the full $1 billion Rural Health Transformation cooperative agreement focused on workforce, access, innovation and digital infrastructure; a notice of award is expected by Dec. 31 and the legislature will be involved in appropriation and oversight.
Department of Health and Human Services staff updated the committee on Utah’s application for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rural Health Transformation cooperative agreement, for which states could apply for up to $1 billion.
Heather Borsky and Britney Okada said Utah submitted an application that targets four strategic goals — workforce development, rural health access, innovation and technology — and seven supporting initiatives. Stakeholder engagement included surveys, listening sessions and technical workgroups; the application was prepared under a compressed timeframe and the full application will be posted publicly.
DHHS staff said CMS expects to issue notices of award by Dec. 31 and that the legislature will have an opportunity to negotiate and appropriate funds during the 2026 session. CMS will recalculate funding annually based on progress reporting and may withhold, reduce or recover funds for noncompliance. DHHS committed to transparency and to working with legislative oversight as the award and negotiations proceed.
