Washington – The Trump Administration announced that $25 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding is being put to work in Michigan to help rural communities overcome barriers to care and build stronger, more connected health systems, advancing the Administration’s commitment to strengthen rural healthcare and ensure Americans can access high-quality care closer to home.
The funding announcement is part of the larger overall funding amount of $173,128,201awarded to Michigan for fiscal year 2026.
Through its partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Michigan will use the funding to modernize the technology and infrastructure that supports rural healthcare delivery. Investments will help rural providers upgrade digital systems, improve data exchange and connectivity, and expand the use of telehealth, remote patient monitoring and technology-driven care coordination.
“Access to quality healthcare shouldn’t depend on whether you live in a big city or a rural community. President Trump made a commitment to rural America, and this $25 million investment is putting that commitment into action by helping modernize our healthcare system, expand access, and bring better care closer to home. I’ll continue working with the Trump Administration to make sure Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula have the resources they need to keep our rural communities strong,” said Rep. Jack Bergman.
“President Trump understands that every American deserves high-quality healthcare, no matter where they live,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We are putting resources directly into rural communities to strengthen the health workforce, modernize infrastructure, expand access, and bring care closer to home. We are giving states the flexibility to build solutions around the people they serve, while demanding accountability for results. That is how we strengthen rural health, improve the lives of patients and families, and Make America Healthy Again.”
“President Trump made a historic commitment to rural America, and these investments are turning that commitment into better care for patients in communities across Michigan,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment helping states solve the problems they know best and create lasting improvements for the Americans who call these communities home.”
As part of the announcement, Michigan is putting funding to work through investments focused on strengthening the technology and connectivity rural providers need to deliver high-quality care:
- Office of Rural Prosperity: The Rural Tech Innovation Fund will provide more than $16 million to help rural providers modernize digital infrastructure and adopt technology that strengthens care coordination and expands access to care.
- Michigan High-Speed Internet Office: The Access and Connectivity Fund will provide more than $9 million in funding to support investments that improve connectivity and strengthen the digital infrastructure needed to deliver healthcare in rural communities.
Michigan has also previously announced approximately $34 million for workforce development, to be made available through five funding opportunities to support recruitment, retention and training across a broad range of health care professions.
The investment, made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts passed by Republicans in Congress, is part of the Trump Administration’s RHTP, a historic $50 billion, five-year national investment to help states transform the way healthcare is delivered in rural America. Led by CMS in partnership with states, the program gives states the resources and flexibility to pursue innovative, locally driven solutions that can be expected to improve access, strengthen the rural health workforce, modernize care delivery, and build sustainable rural health systems around the needs of patients and communities.
The Trump Administration is delivering on its commitment to strengthen rural America by investing in solutions that modernize technology to promote health and wellbeing for rural communities. Through the RHTP, CMS is partnering with Michigan to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and give rural communities the tools to build stronger, more innovative and more sustainable health systems that deliver better care and better outcomes for the Americans they serve.
For more information about the RHTP, visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health.
