January 2, 2026

The President’s Message is published in the MHA Weekly News Report, a member only publication of the Montana Hospital Association. To subscribe, click here.

We’ve been anxiously awaiting news on Montana’s funding under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), and this week we got it. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Monday that Montana would receive $233,509,359 for federal fiscal year 2026.

This is the fourth-highest amount awarded to any state, with only Alaska, Texas and California receiving more. It’s a testament both to the strength of the Gianforte Administration’s proposal to CMS as well as the scale of rural health challenges in our state. It also signals that Montana has the potential to receive more than $1 billion to advance its rural healthcare system over the next five years.

We applauded this announcement in this statement released to statewide media earlier this week.

Now the real work begins. Not surprisingly, the first activities outlined in the State’s RHTP plan are foundational: standing up key partnerships, program design, identification of key institutions and sites, finalizing governance structures, procurement and contracting. The state’s proposed timeline projects that these activities will be the focus for the first half of 2026.

We expect more information from Montana’s Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and Department of Administration (the state agency responsible for procurement and contracting) later this month. Please continue to watch your email and follow our RHTP webpage at www.mtha.org/RHTP where we’ve posted key info including State’s RHTP Plan, recent MHA posts on RHTP, a signup for member-only email updates and more.

As the program moves from planning to implementation, MHA stands ready to serve as a strategic partner to the State through the Montana Health Research and Education Foundation (MHREF). MHREF’s deep experience in federal grant administration, proven partnership with the State of Montana, and unique understanding of hospitals of all sizes and types will be a benefit to the membership and to Montana’s rural communities.

At the end of the day, the most important factor in our success has been and will continue to be our unity. The RHTP funds eventually will go away, but our challenges will not. I hope you will commit to using this chapter as an opportunity not only to strengthen your organization, but to strengthening our entire rural system of care.