Florida to receive $209M for rural health improvements

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(The Center Square) – Florida will receive over $209 million in federal funding for rural health improvements, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Monday.

The funding is part of the Trump administration’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, which allocates $50 billion to the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Approved states will receive funding over five years, with $10 billion being distributed each year starting in 2026 and ending in 2030, CMS said.

Fifty percent of the funding will be distributed equally among the approved states while the other half is allocated based on factors like the state’s rural health system, current and proposed policies and more.

In Florida, a community is considered rural if the county has a population of 75,000 or less or if a county with 125,000 or fewer residents borders a rural county. The designation also extends to cities and towns located within rural counties, among other criteria.

States’s applications for the funding were assessed by subject matter experts, according to CMS.

The average amount awarded was $200 million. At the lower end, New Jersey received over $147 million and Connecticut was awarded just over $154 million. Texas received the highest award, at over $281 million, followed by Alaska at $274 million.

States are to use the funds to implement strategies that improve rural health in several ways, including increasing access to care by expanding preventative, primary, maternal and behavioral health services.

There also is an expectation to find ways to boost the clinical workforce through training, retention incentives and other strategies.

Rural health care facilities should see improvements like updated equipment and technology and better infrastructure, according to the goals laid out by CMS. Additionally, states should seek ways to keep care local and test new care models that improve patient outcomes.