States Map Out Plans for $50 Billion Rural Health Program
An early strategy in North Carolina centers on community-led networks.
April 18, 2026 – State leaders are already mapping out strategies to utilize funds from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program.
Authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the program will provide $10 billion annually from fiscal 2026 through 2030 to help states transform the rural health ecosystem by integrating broadband and other digital technologies into healthcare delivery.
In North Carolina, the program is expected to impact approximately 400 healthcare providers.
The state's efforts center on regional, community-led networks aligned with the state’s six Medicaid regions, Shawn Daugherty, principal of digital opportunity at HR&A Advisors, explained during an event hosted Wednesday by the Schools Libraries Health and Broadband Coalition.
Daugherty said these hubs aim to connect medical care, behavioral health, and social services. An application process is currently open for nonprofits and healthcare providers to lead these regional networks.
In Utah, where 77 percent of the geography is classified as rural, officials have organized their strategy around four distinct pillars.
Sarah Bauman, director of telehealth services for the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, said the first pillar focuses on making rural Utahns healthy through prevention, nutrition, and maternal health.
Other pillars include workforce development, innovation and access through telehealth, and technology innovation.
“I think that Utah's plan reflects what we're seeing nationally, that rural health transformation is inseparable from digital transformation,” Bauman said.
She noted that the existing Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Health Care Program cannot succeed without being integrated into these broader transformation strategies.
Jordan Rogers, director of relationship marketing for the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association, emphasized that the RHTP and the FCC’s connectivity programs are complementary.
While the connectivity program supports the build and ongoing costs of broadband, the RHTP focuses on how care is delivered, Rogers said, noting that both programs are essential for reaching underserved areas.
Member discussion