Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has submitted an application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in an effort to improve rural health care across the state. This action is part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald J. Trump. The program will provide $50 billion in federal funding over five years to states whose applications are approved.
To be eligible for this funding, states must submit a one-time application to CMS. The HHSC’s proposal, titled “Rural Texas Strong: Supporting Health and Wellness,” outlines several strategies aimed at enhancing access to health care in rural communities. These include offering grants focused on chronic disease prevention, wellness, and nutrition services; investing in technology that helps patients manage their health; deploying artificial intelligence and telehealth services; recruiting and retaining rural health care workers through career development programs, scholarships, relocation payments, and training; improving cybersecurity defenses for patient data protection; and upgrading equipment in rural hospitals and clinics.
Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of this initiative for Texans: “Rural health care is critical for the continued health and well-being of Texans across our great state,” said Governor Abbott. “To keep Texas thriving, we must strengthen our rural hospitals, expand access to critical mental and physical health care, and help reduce chronic disease through wellness and nutrition initiatives. Working with our federal partners, we will ensure Texans from every corner of the state have greater access to the quality health care services they need and deserve.”
HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young also commented on HHSC’s commitment: “HHSC is committed to using this opportunity to modernize rural health care throughout Texas,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young. “We look forward to working alongside communities to build a stronger rural health care system for the future.”
The development of HHSC’s application included reviewing more than 300 written comments from a public input survey as well as feedback gathered during regional meetings with local government officials and community leaders across Texas. In October, a public comment session was held where participants provided over 80 oral comments.
CMS is expected to notify states about approved funding amounts by December 31. If successful in securing funds, HHSC plans to use a competitive process for selecting recipients who will implement these initiatives aimed at benefiting rural Texans.
More information about the “Rural Texas Strong: Supporting Health and Wellness” application can be found on the HHS website.
