West Virginia out with $24M on nutrition & lifestyle, California launches dedicated RHTP website
Florida pushes forward on funding
Florida legislation watch
Tennessee out with RAMP — adjacent to RHTP
California launches dedicated CalRHT page: see analysis & review
Kansas insights: Emerging Tech Webinar
New York posts June 23 webinar slides and video— see insights
Utah launches $15M FAST 4.1 Support for Rural Providers to Transition to Value-Based Care (VBC) Models
West Virginia puts $24M on Improving Health Outcomes Through Nutrition and Lifestyle
South Dakota is running an invitation-only project management RFP due July 2
Florida legislation watch
HB 5001-E (General Appropriations Act): The $113.575 billion Fiscal Year 2027 General Appropriations Act, which carries the Agency for Health Care Administration's spending authority to expend Florida's $209 million first-year federal Rural Health Transformation Program award — signed by the presiding officers and presented to Governor Ron DeSantis on June 23, 2026. Awaiting the Governor's action.
Tennessee out with RAMP — adjacent to RHTP
The Rural Healthcare Access Modernization Program (RAMP) supports innovative projects that expand healthcare access and strengthen healthcare delivery in rural Tennessee communities. Through modernization efforts, infrastructure improvements, and technology-enabled solutions, RAMP helps address healthcare challenges and improve access to care for rural residents.
California launches dedicated CalRHT page: see analysis & review
HCAI gave CalRHT its own home at hcai.ca.gov/rural-health/calrht, separate from the older California State Office of Rural Health (CalSORH) page, which still exists for the FLEX/CAH, SHIP, and J-1 programs. A standalone hub with its own contact inbox (CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov) is the kind of move a state makes right before it starts pushing procurement volume through it. Worth bookmarking and watching.
The headline figure is unchanged: California’s Budget Period 1 award is $233,639,308.46, 100% CMS/HHS funded.
Mark July 28: the first Rural Health Policy Council meeting
The page now lists a Rural Health Policy Council (RHPC) Meeting on July 28, 2026, with registration details “coming soon.” This is the public forum where CalRHT implementation gets discussed, so it is the next real governance signal on the calendar.
If you want a seat at that table, the Q&A spells out how: the HCAI Director appoints RHPC members starting in Spring or Summer 2026, and interested stakeholders can email a resume and an expression of interest to CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov.
The Spring Webinar Q&A: what it adds beyond the slides
HCAI posted a Questions and Answers document (dated May 7, 2026) covering the April 21 Spring Webinar. It runs 11 sections. The recording and slides I analyzed earlier laid out the initiatives and the timeline; the Q&A is where the eligibility and allowable-use lines get drawn. The ones that matter most for positioning:
Eligibility is broader than people assume
Out-of-state organizations can apply directly — no California partner required — as long as they can meet California contracting requirements and deliver services in rural California. Partnering with a rural California organization is “encouraged,” not required. This phrase repeats throughout the document.
County public health departments cannot be primary recipients of RHTP funds. Per CMS guidance, they may only participate as State-selected partners or subrecipients.
Fiscally sponsored organizations are eligible through an eligible fiscal sponsor that assumes legal and financial responsibility.
“Rural serving” is defined by who benefits, not where you sit. Eligibility is keyed to the HRSA Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, and urban-based providers serving rural patients can qualify with documented rural impact.
No automatic preference for “super rural” areas, though high-need communities tend to score better.
Allowable use: the hard “no” list
Broadband expansion is not a permissible use. Telehealth proposals should focus on clinical technology tools and workflows, not building connectivity.
No direct patient care. Funds may not pay physicians, hospitals, or clinical providers for billable services, and must be non-duplicative and non-supplanting.
Provider payments are capped at 15% of the total award. CalRHT will not create new billing codes; reimbursement policy is a separate track.
Allowable uses and restrictions are itemized on pages 18–22 of the CMS NOFO — the single most useful page reference in the document.
Mobile care equipment, including non-emergency medical vans, can be eligible when tied to an approved care-delivery model rather than general transportation.
Process mechanics worth planning around
Each RFA application window will be at least 30 calendar days.
First-year funds are released on a rolling basis as each awardee completes contracting — not all at once.
No carryover beyond the budget period. Budget Period 1 funds must be obligated by October 30, 2026 and spent by September 30, 2027; unspent funds get identified by CMS and redistributed to other states.
Multiple awardees per county are allowed.
You do not need all partners identified or contracted at submission.
An external evaluator is not required, though allowed.
Two timing signals for technology vendors
The Rural Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) is expected to launch late 2026 or early 2027, and will help rural organizations identify and vet vendors — though the state will not endorse or select specific vendors.
For Technology & Tools applications, HCAI points applicants to EHR modernization, health information exchange, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle management as fundable categories, and directs everyone to the Project Narrative and Budget Narrative for the Transformative Care Model and Accelerator Partner detail.
What to do now
Three moves while you wait for the RFAs: get on the CalRHT mailing list so RFA drops hit your inbox; if you want influence, send a resume to CalRHT@hcai.ca.gov for RHPC consideration before the Director appoints members this summer; and pressure-test your proposal against pages 18–22 of the CMS NOFO before you write a word, because the “no” list is where most ineligible ideas die.
