"Driving the news: The average award for 2026, the first of five years, is $200 million. Alaska, a rural state with unique challenges for health care access, got the second most funding after Texas, receiving $272 million. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted for the bill after being the focus of hours of negotiations with GOP leaders. The Wall Street Journal reported over the summer that officials had reassured Alaska's GOP senators that the state would do well in allotments from the fund."
"Between the lines: Half the funding is distributed equally among states, benefitting those with smaller populations on a per capita basis. The other half of funding is distributed based on factors including state-level policies, such as efforts to "make rural America healthy again" like implementing the presidential fitness test in schools. What they're saying: "States are stepping forward with bold, creative plans to expand rural access, strengthen their workforces, modernize care, and support the communities that keep our nation running,""
A $50 billion fund was created to allocate grants over five years, with an average award of $200 million for 2026. Half the funding is distributed equally among states, benefiting smaller-population states on a per capita basis. The other half is distributed based on factors including state-level policies and initiatives aimed at improving rural health. Alaska received $272 million, the second-largest allotment after Texas, following negotiations with GOP leaders. Officials emphasized state plans to expand rural access, strengthen workforces, and modernize care. Critics contend the fund does not compensate for nearly $1 trillion in proposed Medicaid cuts, and rural providers worry about revenue losses.
Read at Axios
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