Washington Applying For Rural Health Funds

The state of Washington, like others, is in the process of applying for funds from the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal program established by the Trump Administration's Big Beautiful Bill to improve healthcare in rural communities.  Ryan Moran, director of the Washington State Health Care Authority, which is spearheading the application process, says whether or not Washington receives the funding, it is still within the context of historic cuts to Medicaid.

"These funds that we will receive from the rural health transformation will not at all make up for the projected losses that we are seeing here from the state of Washington," he said.

Moran explains the funds are designed to support chronic disease prevention, technology innovations, and access to care.  Though the funds will not be able to compensate for cuts to Medicaid, Moran says the state is taking every available opportunity to support rural communities. 

“We very much from a state's perspective believe that there is an opportunity to support Washington's rural health delivery system as we adapt to the major changes that are coming related to funding," Moran added.

As part of the application process, Moran says the state collected feedback from hospitals, nonprofits and other stakeholders about their priorities for supporting the state’s rural health systems.  He said they received nearly 300 responses, with many putting behavioral health, substance use disorder and building a strong workforce at the top of the state’s to-do list.

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