Rural Health Transformation Program
As part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act $233 million has been committed to Montana's rural areas to be used for improving health care accessibility and outcomes. This program has moved very quickly in our opinion and the states, including Montana, have been tasked with planning and deploying programs to effectively use these funds within tight timeframes.
Highlights
We are in the first year of this initiative and it is set to run for 4 more...Montana received the 4th largest award in the entire country! There are 5 major components that the state has identified in their goals for this program: Workforce Development, Sustainable Access, Innovative Care Models, Community Health & Prevention, and Technology Innovation.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for this funding you must be serving a zip code that CMS deems to be "Rural". You can check that here by putting in an address, or on the ambulance zip code definition look up tool on the Medicare page.
How much $ is available?
This year there is around $4 million in grants specifically earmarked to help rural ambulance services. They can use this for replacing vehicles, upgrading equipment or other specific needs that may cause gaps in responding or service.
How can we participate?
There is an application process to request funding. Beyond that, we suggest you monitor the state's website closely and remember that if you actively engage with the personnel within these partner offices you'll be best positioned in the future to benefit from funding opportunities.
What's next?
This is year one, so look for more innovation and opportunities to come. The areas the state is focused on could lead to updates to the way care is reimbursed. We are hoping to see treatment in place payments and funding for community paramedicine partnerships.
