Transforming Rural Care: Chronic Disease Prevention, Training, and Management
Prevention, education and care coordination for heart disease, hypertension, obesity and other chronic conditions, plus rural training networks.
RHTP state profile · Colorado
Colorado Rural Health Transformation Program
Colorado received $200.1 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 26th of 50 states. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) runs the program, which funds ten initiatives across Colorado's 52 rural and frontier counties, from chronic disease prevention and EMS to telehealth and rural value-based care.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesCO: $200.1M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$200.1MYear 1 award, 26th of 50
10Funded initiatives
52 / 64Colorado counties are rural or frontier
HCPFColorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Spending data in the RHTP Year One Report covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, the latest CMS reporting window.
At a glance
Colorado's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Colorado's section of the RHTP Year One Report tracks how much was put to work, and with whom, through July 31, 2026. It updates after each CMS data release.
Year 1 award$200,105,604, 26th of 50 states
Run byColorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives10
Rural and frontier counties52 of 64
Spending data through July 31, 2026Colorado's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Colorado's RHTP fund?
Colorado's approved plan names ten initiatives across chronic disease prevention, rural networks, hospitals, EMS, workforce, value-based care and telehealth. For Year 1, HCPF put about $160.3 million of the award into eight grant program areas, offered through one competitive Request for Applications.
Build Data and Evaluation Infrastructure for Chronic Disease Programs
Chronic disease dashboards that combine Medicaid, public health and program data, with a shared way to measure reach and return.
Build and Connect Colorado's Rural Health Networks
Regional health networks and rural health data dashboards, including support for Tribal networks.
Strengthen Rural Care Delivery Systems
Better rural EMS coverage and transport, regional EMS coordination and care networks among hospitals, clinics and behavioral health providers.
Sustain Rural Hospital Operations and Regulatory Readiness
Help for rural hospitals with operations, service lines, compliance and financial planning, with direct support for hospitals under strain.
Strengthen and Expand the Rural Health Workforce
Recruiting, training, cross-training and keeping health workers, with a focus on shortage areas and a homegrown workforce.
Expanding Clinical Capacity to Perform Preventive Care
Training and continuing education for rural clinicians in screenings and other chronic disease and preventive services.
Strengthening State and Local Health Coordination
Coordination among state agencies, schools, public health and rural partners, including Grow Your Own programs.
Design and Pilot Rural Value-Based Care Model(s)
Designs and tests value-based payment models for rural providers, such as shared savings and bundled payments.
Expand Rural Telehealth and Technology Integration
Telehealth, remote patient monitoring, interoperability and cybersecurity readiness for rural providers, including technology grants.
Recipients by initiative are in Colorado's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Colorado's full plan is public
The approved plan has more detail than any summary: goals, partners, metrics and timelines for each initiative. Read it before working on a Colorado RHTP project.
PDFHCPFColorado RHTP Project NarrativeThe full approved plan from HCPF, including all ten initiatives and the state policies Colorado cited.PDFHCPFColorado RHTP Budget OverviewHCPF's two-page Year 1 budget, including the eight grant program areas and their dollar amounts.PDFHCPFColorado RHTP Project SummaryHCPF's short summary of the plan as submitted to CMS.PDFCMSCMS State Project AbstractsEach state's own summary, side by side.
Rural or frontier county (52)Other counties (12)
Eligibility
Which Colorado counties are eligible for RHTP funding?
Colorado's program covers the 52 of its 64 counties that HCPF classifies as rural or frontier under federal HRSA definitions, home to about 800,000 residents. Rural census tracts in Larimer, Mesa and Weld counties also qualify, and the plan includes Colorado's two federally recognized tribes. Lead applicants had to be located in one of those areas, though mobile, telehealth and home-based services based elsewhere could qualify.
View HCPF's rural and frontier county list →How to apply
How can Colorado providers apply for RHTP funding?
Colorado providers applied through one HCPF Request for Applications (RFA) for about $160 million, open June 18 to August 3, 2026. That round has closed, and HCPF awarded $169.6 million to 91 applicants on September 28, 2026. HCPF's FAQ says it does not expect to take new applicants in later years, since awards renew each year of the five-year project. Providers and vendors don't apply to CMS directly.
- Match the work to an initiative.Funding only goes to work that fits Colorado's plan. HCPF's Grant Program RFA Sample Activities document shows examples.
- Partner with a funded project.With no new lead applicants expected, joining a grantee's project is the main route in. HCPF's Grant Awardees page lists all 91 grantees.
- Register as a vendor.Submit HCPF's Vendor Interest Form, which HCPF publishes for grantees, and register in ColoradoVSS for state solicitations. Lead applicants need an active SAM.gov registration and UEI.
- Plan for federal rules.Grant recipients follow federal grant, reporting and audit rules. A Single Audit applies at $1 million or more in federal spending a year. Vendors are paid for completed work, not in advance.
- Ask HCPF directly.Email hcpf_RHTP@state.co.us.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Colorado recipient.
Grants and contracts carry different obligations
A subaward makes your organization a subrecipient that carries out part of the program, with federal reporting and audit requirements. A contract pays for goods or services, with lighter requirements.
New rounds follow CMS budget approval
States can't post funding opportunities until CMS approves their budget, so windows can open months into a budget period.
Workforce incentives need a rural commitment
Recruitment and retention payments require clinicians to commit to serving rural communities for at least five years.
Recipients must disclose the federal funding
Under the Stevens Amendment, websites, social posts and other public materials about a funded project must name the federal funding.
Allowable costs
What can Colorado's RHTP funding pay for?
Colorado's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Colorado's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $40.0M
Provider payments15% of award
About $30.0M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $20.0M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
$20.0M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $10.0M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Colorado's plan. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Capital funds go to existing facilities: renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC and like-for-like equipment replacement.
Off limits
- New construction, demolition and major expansions
- Cosmetic work such as painting, carpet or decor
- Clinician salaries at facilities that use non-compete clauses
- Home broadband installation and service
- Costs already covered by other federal or state funding
Policy commitments
Colorado's policy commitments carry deadlines
Colorado's application cited five state policies already in place or proposed, and CMS lists no new state policy commitments for Colorado. Two are done, and the SNAP waiver the plan cited is not in effect. CMS can reduce or recover funding when promised policy actions don't happen.
No certificate of need
Keep Colorado free of a certificate of need program
Colorado has no certificate of need programShort-term health plan rules
Keep state rules requiring short-term plans to cover benefits required by Colorado law
Existing Colorado rulesSNAP sugary drink restriction
Restrict soft drink purchases with SNAP under a USDA-approved waiver
USDA approved the waiver in August 2025; the state discontinued it in 2026Nutrition education for physicians
Add nutrition as a physician continuing medical education topic by rule
Rule proposal stage when the plan was writtenScope of practice
Pursue legislation to expand providers' scope of care as needs arise
Colorado already belongs to the physician, nurse, EMS, psychology, counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and audiology and speech-language pathology licensure compacts.
Years 2 to 5
$40B
Future awards depend on progress
Year 1 is not a guaranteed annual amount. CMS plans up to $40 billion more nationwide through 2030 and rescores every state each year on progress, data and policy actions.
Unobligated money leaves the state
Funds not obligated by the end of a budget period can't be obligated later and are redistributed to other states.
Funds can be clawed back
CMS can withhold, reduce or recover money for unallowable costs, unapproved plan changes or missed policy commitments. States get 90 days to fix a violation, and most decisions can't be appealed.
Oversight is growing
CMS's Office of Rural Health Transformation plans site visits in all 50 states in 2026. Audits start in 2027.
Method
Reading Colorado's spending data
Use the numbers in Colorado's section of the RHTP Year One Report to understand direction and pace, not as an audit.
Put to work is not paid out
Obligated money is signed to a contract or grant. Cash reaches recipients later.
Through July 31, 2026 only
The data covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, as Colorado reported it to CMS. Commitments made after July 31, 2026 are not counted yet.
Recipients sit inside line items
The CMS report has no recipient column. Search Colorado's line item descriptions by name.
Quarterly refresh
CMS updates the data after each quarterly state report, starting with the November 30, 2026 filing.
Announcements
Major Colorado announcements
Carina Health Network announces $5.4 million in RHTP funding for seven rural health center locations, including work on alternative payment models and a primary care membership model.
HCPF and CMS announce $169.6 million in RHTP grants to 91 applicants for about 250 projects in 52 rural or frontier counties and three counties with rural census tracts.
HCPF opens its $160 million Request for Applications for rural providers, with applications due August 3.
CMS approves Colorado's Year 1 RHTP budget.
CMS awards Colorado $200.1 million for Year 1.
Awards announced after July 31, 2026 are not in the CMS spending data yet. They will appear after the next CMS refresh.
Timeline
Key dates
- Dec 29, 2025Year 1 award; Budget Period 1 begins
- Jun 18, 2026HCPF opens the grant program Request for Applications
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Aug 3, 2026Grant applications due
- Sep 28, 2026HCPF announces $169.6 million in grants
- Oct 30, 2026Budget Period 1 ends
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- Sep 30, 2027Deadline to spend Year 1 funds
- 2030Final year of the five-year program
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
Hospital-only lines in Year 1 were small: $4.1 million in mini-grants and $420,000 for an advisory board and outreach. Hospitals also led competitive grant projects, and some of the largest Year 1 awards went to rural hospitals such as Kremmling Memorial Hospital District (Middle Park Health) and the Lutheran Hospital Association of the San Luis Valley (Regional Medical Center). Expect funded projects to renew each year rather than new open rounds.
For partners and vendors
HCPF set aside about $19 million for vendors that provide compliance, research, legal, IT, data and financial services directly to grantees, and grantees choose their own vendors. Telehealth ($44 million), whole-person care ($40 million) and incentive payments ($39.2 million) are the largest grant areas. HCPF's Vendor Interest Form is the main way to get in front of grantees.
For applicants and grantees
Year 1 funds must be spent by September 30, 2027, and unspent funds don't roll over. Build tracking for the measures Colorado reports to CMS before work starts. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, and their results feed Colorado's annual rescoring.
FAQ
Colorado RHTP FAQs
Who runs Colorado's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), the state's Medicaid agency, runs Colorado's Rural Health Transformation Program, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). HCPF manages the state's plan, runs the grant program and answers questions at hcpf_RHTP@state.co.us. The program is Colorado's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Colorado receive?
Colorado received $200,105,604 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 26th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Colorado's award was based on its rural needs, its state policies and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Colorado's progress.
Can Colorado RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Colorado's award each year, about $40.0 million in Year 1, can go to work on existing facilities, such as renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC replacement and like-for-like equipment replacement. Colorado's grant program also caps minor renovations at 15% of each program category awarded.
Can Colorado providers use RHTP funding to pay for patient care?
Only for care that insurance doesn't already pay for. Provider payments can cover nonreimbursed services, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Colorado's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $30.0 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill, and Colorado's grants can't pay for billable services such as telehealth visits.
Where can I see how Colorado is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Colorado's award was put to work through July 31, 2026, by initiative and recipient, using state-reported data from CMS, and is updated after each CMS data release. HCPF also posts its own list of Year 1 grant awardees, which includes the $169.6 million in grants announced September 28, 2026.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Colorado
These RHT Alliance members serve Colorado providers, with support that spans EHR and billing, virtual nursing, virtual care, remote monitoring, health data, diagnostics, patient education and grant writing.
Azalea HealthCloud EHR and billing with AI-assisted charting for rural hospitals and clinics.
CorstrataTelehealth access to board-certified wound, ostomy and continence nurses.
Equum MedicalTelehealth-enabled physician coverage across specialties.
Health Recovery SolutionsRemote patient monitoring and care management at home.
InterSystemsHealth data platforms and interoperability.
Medical Equipment SourceDigital pathology, mobile labs and lab equipment services.
Rural Health Transformation Funding NetworkGrant writing support for RHTP funding opportunities.
Self Care DecisionsEvidence-based triage that directs patients to the right level of care.
Solid StartsInfant feeding guidance and education for families, built by pediatric feeding specialists.
Teledentistry.com24/7 virtual dental evaluations and emergency triage.
VitalChatVirtual nursing and continuous audio and video care across hospitals.
WebMD IgniteMedically reviewed patient education and outreach, including its HEART rural program.Follow Colorado's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.