Texas Health Agency Plans $78 Million in Rural Healthcare Grants to 216 Providers

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission plans to award $78 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 216 rural healthcare providers, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday.

The grants go to three programs, according to the governor’s office. “Make Rural Texans Healthy Again” helps rural hospital districts address chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and obesity. “Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team” helps rural communities recruit, train and keep physicians, emergency medical workers and other health care staff. “Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas” pays to replace aging equipment and improve existing facilities.

“Every Texan deserves access to high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” Abbott said. HHSC Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said, “Rural providers know their communities best.”

Where the money comes from

The money is federal. The $78,089,434.73 is part of a $281,319,360.67 first-year award Texas received from the Rural Health Transformation Program run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the state expects about $1.4 billion from the program over five years. The commission said it will keep announcing awards weekly as it reviews applications, and that money will flow once contracts are final.

“CMS is proud to work with states like Texas to deliver innovative, locally driven solutions as part of President Trump’s Rural Health Transformation Program,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Texans pay the federal taxes that fund the program, and a Texas agency picks the Texas providers who get it back. The terms of the program, and how long it lasts, are written in Washington.