Rural Episodes
Jan. 31, 2026
The Rural Health Transformation Fund: What States Are Funding in 2026
CMS is sending tens of billions of dollars to every state in 2026 to stabilize rural healthcare through targeted investments in workforce, technology, care coordination, and alternative payment models (not broad rate increases). In this VBCA episode, Alex explains what the Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) is, how states are using it, and why it matters for payer strategy, provider contracting, network adequacy, and rural access risk going forward.