April 10, 2025 Funding and Opportunities USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants – June 26. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates a total of $900 million in funding for regional, local, and Tribal initiatives focused on preventing roadway deaths and serious injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of EMS encourages EMS agencies and 911 centers to apply for funding independently or collaborate with local, regional, health, planning or transportation partners. Of the awards granted from fiscal years 2022 to 2024, USDOT estimates almost half went to communities in rural areas. USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – June 30. Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding to be used by local utility organizations for projects that will create and retain employment in areas or towns with a population of 50,000 residents or fewer. Grants of up to $300,000 may go to eligible intermediaries to establish and operate a Revolving Loan Fund. Loans of up to $1 million can be used to make zero-interest loans to local businesses and/or community organizations. This program is only open to current or former Rural Utilities Service Electric or Telecommunication borrowers and not-for-profit utilities eligible under the Rural Electrification Act. USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – June 30. In a separate program, USDA provides low interest loans to intermediary lenders to establish revolving loan funds for economic development at the local level. Eligible intermediary lenders include nonprofits and cooperatives, federally-recognized tribes, and public agencies. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement. Among key findings from the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center: - Overall, the supply of eligible clinicians grew in both rural and urban counties in the five years from 2017 to 2022.
- Despite this growth, more rural counties lacked waivered clinicians (30.1 percent) compared to urban counties (10.4 percent) in 2022, and rural counties had a lower overall supply of clinicians per 100,000 population (25.2) compared to urban counties (32.6).
- Small and remote rural counties had the greatest proportion of counties without a clinician (41.3 percent) compared to other rural counties.
Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Finalizes Technical Changes to Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans. In this final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implements changes related to Medicare Advantage (MA) inpatient admission decisions, vaccine and insulin cost sharing, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, Medicare Advantage dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), Star Ratings, and other programmatic areas. CMS is not finalizing three provisions from the proposed rule: - Enhancing Health Equity Analyses: Annual Health Equity Analysis of Utilization Management Policies;
- Procedures and Ensuring Equitable Access to Medicare Advantage Services—Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence; and
- Part D Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs) and Application to the Medicaid Program.
There are other provisions from the proposed rule that are not included in this final rule. CMS may address them in future rulemaking, as appropriate. As of January 2023, about 45 percent of rural Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in an MA plan. CMS Announces 2026 Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Payment Rates. In the Medicare Advantage (MA) final rate announcement, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) projects an increase in MA plan payments of 5.06 percent, or over $25 billion, for calendar year (CY) 2026, which is higher than what was proposed. It also finalizes updates to the Prescription Drug (Part D) Redesign Program Instructions, which provide guidance for CY 2026 regarding the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022's (IRA) changes to the structure of the defined standard Part D drug benefit. Notable updates for Part D include the CY 2026 annual out-of-pocket (OOP) threshold for Part D increasing to $2,100; enrollee, sponsor, manufacturer, and CMS liability in the new standard Part D benefit design changing to account for the updates to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program; and several topics regarding the selected drug subsidy program, where Part D sponsors receive a government subsidy for selected drugs equal to 10 percent of the drug's negotiated price. Update: RHC and FQHC CMS Medicare Benefit Policy Manual. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) updated the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 13 for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) with Calendar Year 2025 requirements and payment policies. Medicare Billing Information for Advanced Primary Care Management Services. Starting January 1, 2025, eligible providers may use a new payment bundle for Advanced Primary Care Management (ACPM) that reflects the essential elements of advanced primary care, including principal care management, transitional care management and chronic care management. ACPM services combine elements of several existing care management and communication technology-based services. Resources of the Week USDA Rural Development Disaster Assistance. Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a series of loans and grants for community facilities, businesses, water and infrastructure, and housing. SAMHSA/FEMA Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) administers relief grants to states, territories, and tribes to address behavioral health needs post-disaster through community-based outreach, crisis counseling, public education, and other supportive services. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds the program as support for mental health assistance and training. Learn more about how a disaster gets declared at the federal level and search FEMA's list of disasters and other declarations. Approaching Deadlines HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development Program – April 10 CMS Proposes Updates to ACA Marketplace Rules – Comment by April 11 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Northern Border Rural Workforce – April 11 HRSA National Telehealth Resource Center Program – April 14 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Pathways – April 14 HRSA Regional Telehealth Resource Center Program – April 14 HRSA Telehealth Rapid Response Center – April 15 HRSA Telehealth Research Center – April 15 HRSA Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – April 17 USDA Rural Development: Community Connect Grants – April 21 HRSA Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (Rural MOMS) – April 22 HRSA Nurse Corps Scholarship Program – April 24 HRSA National Health Service Corps: Three Loan Repayment Programs – May 1 HRSA National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program – May 1 CMS-Driven Partnership for Quality Measurement Seeks Experts for Multiple Committees – Nominate by May 15 USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants – June 26 USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – June 30 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – June 30 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated April 2025 Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Technical Assistance for Rural EMS Communications Delta Regional Authority: Community Infrastructure Fund Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program General Services Administration: Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications HRSA National Health Service Corps/SAMHSA: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Indian Health Service SOAR Health Training on Human Trafficking Indian Health Service/Department of Defense: Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) Licensure Portability: the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Rural Initiative Pilot Program Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency/: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems USDA Rural Development: Community Facilities Program USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loans & Grants – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees U.S. Department of Justice: Jail-Based Medication-Assisted Treatment Mentoring Initiative U.S. Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund | 
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