Expand Primary and Secondary Prevention Programs
Community health workers, food-is-medicine programs, behavioral health integration and mobile cancer screening to cut chronic disease and avoidable hospital stays.
RHTP state profile · Kansas
Kansas Rural Health Transformation Program
Kansas received $221.9 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 6th of 50 states. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) runs the program, which funds five initiatives across Kansas's 85 rural counties, from community health workers and food-is-medicine programs to regional provider partnerships and rural emergency hospitals.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesKS: $221.9M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$221.9MYear 1 award, 6th of 50
5Funded initiatives
85 / 105Kansas counties are rural
KDHEKansas Department of Health and Environment
Spending data in the RHTP Year One Report covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, the latest CMS reporting window.
At a glance
Kansas's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Kansas'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$221,898,007, 6th of 50 states
Run byKansas Department of Health and Environment
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives5
Rural counties85 of 105
Spending data through July 31, 2026Kansas's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Kansas's RHTP fund?
Kansas's RHTP funds five initiatives across prevention, local primary care, workforce, value-based care, and data and technology. KDHE's grant programs, such as the Regional Partnership Grant Program and the Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine program, sit under these five.
Secure Local Access to Primary Care
Shores up rural hospital finances and funds regional partnerships, rural emergency hospital conversions and public health integration.
Build a Sustainable Rural Health Workforce
Career exploration, training, rural residencies and retention support to grow the rural health workforce.
Enable Value-Based Care
Moves rural Medicare and Medicaid patients into accountable care through evidence-based practice payments, ACO readiness, transportation and Medicaid incentives.
Harness Data and Technology
Remote patient monitoring, specialist telehealth, health data infrastructure and responsible use of AI.
Recipients by initiative are in Kansas's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Kansas'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 responding to a Kansas request for applications.
PDFKDHEKansas RHT Program Full ApplicationKDHE's November 2025 plan, including all five initiatives and Kansas's policy commitments.PDFKDHEKansas Year 2 Project NarrativeKDHE's updated plan for Year 2, submitted to CMS and still under CMS review.PDFCMSCMS 50-State SpotlightsCMS's short profile of each state's program, including Kansas's.PDFCMSCMS State Project AbstractsEach state's own summary, side by side.
Rural county (85)Other counties (20)
Eligibility
Which Kansas counties are eligible for RHTP funding?
Kansas's plan counts 85 of the state's 105 counties as rural, the ones outside a metropolitan statistical area, home to about 860,000 residents. Grant eligibility follows the federal Office of Rural Health Policy definition, so applicants check their address with HRSA's Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, and providers outside rural areas can take part only when the work directly benefits rural communities.
Check eligibility with HRSA's analyzer →How to apply
How can Kansas providers apply for RHTP funding?
Kansas providers apply through Requests for Applications (RFAs) from KDHE, posted on its RHTP page and submitted through online application portals. Four Year 2 rounds are open, closing November 13 and November 18, 2026. Providers and vendors don't apply to CMS directly.
- Match the work to an initiative.Funding only goes to work that fits one of the five, and each RFA names the initiatives it supports.
- Apply to an open round.The Regional Partnership Grant Program ($44 million) and Transformative Capital Investment Grant ($11 million) close November 13, 2026. Community Health Worker + Accountable Food is Medicine and Non-Emergency Transportation close November 18.
- Register before you apply.Applicants need a UEI from SAM.gov, a federal EIN and a Kansas SMART Vendor ID.
- 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.
- Get free help or ask KDHE.The Kansas Health Institute offers free technical assistance and weekly office hours. Email kdhe.rhtp@ks.gov.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Kansas 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 Kansas's RHTP funding pay for?
Kansas's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Kansas's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $44.4M
Provider payments15% of award
About $33.3M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $22.2M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
$20.0M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $11.1M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Kansas'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
Kansas's policy commitments carry deadlines
Kansas committed to four policy actions in its application. One is done. CMS can reduce or recover funding if the rest slip.
SNAP soda and candy restriction
Seek a USDA waiver to exclude soft drinks and candy from SNAP purchases
USDA approved March 4, 2026; takes effect February 15, 2027Telehealth reimbursement
Pass a law so Medicaid pays for store-and-forward and communication technology-based services
Presidential Fitness Test
Re-establish a state mandate for the Presidential Fitness Test in schools
Nutrition education for physicians
Require nutrition continuing medical education by law or regulation
Kansas already belongs to the physician, nurse, EMS, psychology and physician assistant 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 Kansas's spending data
Use the numbers in Kansas'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 Kansas 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 Kansas'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 Kansas announcements
KDHE opens four Year 2 rounds: $44 million for regional partnerships, $11 million for capital investment, and rounds for community health workers with food-is-medicine and for non-emergency transportation.
CMS announces nearly $17 million for Kansas: $16 million in emerging technology grants to 14 rural providers and $780,000 for interfacility transport.
KDHE awards about $1 million to seven organizations for community health workers and food-is-medicine programs.
KDHE awards $79.1 million to 39 organizations through regional partnership grants and rural emergency hospital and capital investment grants.
USDA approves Kansas's waiver to exclude soda and candy from SNAP purchases, one of the state's policy commitments.
CMS awards Kansas $221.9 million for Year 1, 6th of 50 states.
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
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Aug 30, 2026Annual report and Year 2 funding request due to CMS
- Oct 30, 2026Budget Period 1 ends
- Nov 13, 2026Year 2 regional partnership and capital investment applications due
- Nov 18, 2026Year 2 community health worker and transportation applications due
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- Feb 15, 2027SNAP soda and candy restriction takes effect
- Sep 30, 2027Deadline to spend all Year 1 funds
- Dec 31, 2027Telehealth reimbursement deadline
- Dec 31, 2028Fitness test and nutrition education deadlines
- 2030Final year of the five-year program
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
Regional partnerships and rural emergency hospital and capital grants drew Kansas's largest Year 1 awards, $79.1 million to 39 organizations. Year 2 rounds for both close November 13, 2026, and the evidence-based practice program pays rural hospitals and clinics to build quality reporting.
For partners and vendors
Regional partnership grants require a commitment from at least one other eligible provider, so teaming with rural hospitals, clinics and health departments is one route in. Technology, transportation, community health workers and food-is-medicine are the most active lanes.
For applicants and grantees
Build tracking for the measures Kansas reports to CMS before an award lands. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, and their results feed Kansas's annual rescoring. Year 1 funds must be spent by September 30, 2027.
FAQ
Kansas RHTP FAQs
Who runs Kansas's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) runs Kansas's Rural Health Transformation Program, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). KDHE manages the state's plan with the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance, posts funding opportunities and answers questions at kdhe.rhtp@ks.gov. The program is Kansas's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Kansas receive?
Kansas received $221,898,007 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 6th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Kansas's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Kansas's progress.
Can Kansas RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Kansas's award each year, about $44.4 million in Year 1, can go to work on existing facilities, such as renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC replacement and like-for-like equipment replacement.
Can Kansas 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 Kansas's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $33.3 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Where can I see how Kansas is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Kansas'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. Awards announced after July 31, such as $16 million in September 2026 for emerging technology at 14 rural providers, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Kansas
These RHT Alliance members serve Kansas providers, with support that spans 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 Kansas's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.