Ohio’s Rural Health Transformation funding amount drops in second year of the program

Federal officials on Monday announced $10 billion in awards across all 50 states in the second year of the Rural Health Transformation Fund (Source: “Feds award $10B to states in second year of rural health grants,” Stateline, Nov. 9).
 
Texas received the largest grant for the 2027 fiscal year — almost $282 million — followed by Alaska, Montana, California and Oklahoma.
 
Ohio received $201 million, the 26th-highest amount and about $100,000 less than the state received in year one, according to the announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In the first year of RHT funding, Ohio received the 25th-highest funding, but was ranked 46th on funding per rural resident, according to analysis included in an HPIO policy explainer on Rural Health Transformation Program funding in Ohio. 
 
Congress created the five-year program in response to concern from rural healthcare providers — as well as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — about the effects of sweeping Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Donald Trump signed last year. Rural areas are expected to lose about $137 billion, according to health research organization, KFF.