Population Health Advancement
Clinical infrastructure, care coordination and new payment methods that help rural providers move to value-based care.
RHTP state profile · Massachusetts
Massachusetts Rural Health Transformation Program
Massachusetts received $162.0 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 46th of 50 states. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) runs the program, which funds seven initiatives across the 160 cities and towns the state defines as rural, from mobile health units and EMS to rural hospital facility upgrades.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesMA: $162.0M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$162.0MYear 1 award, 46th of 50
7Funded initiatives
160 / 351Massachusetts cities and towns are rural
EOHHSMassachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Spending data in the RHTP Year One Report covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, the latest CMS reporting window.
At a glance
Massachusetts's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Massachusetts'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$162,005,238, 46th of 50 states
Run byMassachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives7
Rural cities and towns160 of 351
Spending data through July 31, 2026Massachusetts's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Massachusetts's RHTP fund?
Massachusetts's RHTP funds seven initiatives across value-based care, new care models, workforce, prevention, EMS, technology and facilities. EOHHS runs the program with MassHealth, the Department of Public Health and its State Office of Rural Health, and the Office of Rural Affairs, and every funding opportunity maps to one of the seven.
Innovation in Rural Care Models
New and redesigned care models, such as tech-enabled mobile health units, telehealth, behavioral health models and school-based health centers.
Training Healthcare for Retention, Innovation, & Excellence (THRIVE)
Training, recruitment and retention for the full range of rural health care workers, including rural residencies and field placements.
Healthy Rural Communities
Community-led prevention that addresses the root causes of poor health, such as food insecurity.
EMS Service Integration
Investments that make rural EMS more viable and widen its role, including a pilot reimbursement program planned for 2027.
Enhancing Technology Interoperability and Connectivity
Technology upgrades for rural providers, starting with health information exchange hub and cybersecurity pilots.
Facility Modernization & Re-Use
Minor renovations that put underused rural facility space to better use and expand access to care.
Recipients by initiative are in Massachusetts's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts solicitation.
PDFEOHHSMassachusetts RHT Program ApplicationThe full plan from EOHHS, including the project narrative, all seven initiatives and the state's policy commitments.PDFEOHHSMassachusetts RHTP NewsletterEOHHS's program updates, starting with the July 2026 issue on the advisory council, leadership and timeline.PDFCMSMassachusetts Application AbstractThe state's own summary of its plan, as published by CMS.PDFCMSCMS 50-State SpotlightsCMS's short profile of each state's program, including Massachusetts's.
Rural city or town (160)Other cities and towns (191)
Eligibility
Which Massachusetts towns are eligible for RHTP funding?
Massachusetts's plan focuses on 160 of the state's 351 cities and towns, the ones the State Office of Rural Health defines as rural, home to about 700,000 residents, roughly 10% of the state. The plan uses towns rather than counties, though Franklin, Dukes and Nantucket counties are fully rural and rural towns also sit in Barnstable, Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester counties. Each solicitation states its own eligibility rules; the October 2026 capital round, for example, was open only to the state's six rural hospitals.
View the State Office of Rural Health rural towns list →How to apply
How can Massachusetts providers apply for RHTP funding?
Massachusetts providers and vendors apply through EOHHS procurements and requests for applications, with procurements posted on COMMBUYS, the state procurement site, and program timing on the RHTP Key Dates and Opportunities page. The Year 1 rural hospital capital round closed October 26, 2026, and Year 2 opportunities have not been announced. 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 seven, and the application lists each initiative's activities and timeline.
- Watch for new rounds.Join the EOHHS RHTP contact list, and check the Key Dates and Opportunities page and COMMBUYS.
- Register as a vendor.State procurements post on COMMBUYS. SAM.gov registration is standard for federally funded grants and contracts.
- 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.
- Ask EOHHS directly.Email Rural@mass.gov.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts's RHTP funding pay for?
Massachusetts's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Massachusetts's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $32.4M
Provider payments15% of award
About $24.3M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $16.2M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
About $16.2M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $8.1M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Massachusetts'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
Massachusetts's policy commitments carry deadlines
Massachusetts committed to three policy actions in its application, all licensure compacts, according to CMS. None is done yet. CMS can reduce or recover funding if they slip.
Nurse Licensure Compact
Put the Nurse Licensure Compact, enacted in November 2024, into effect
The nursing board got conditional FBI approval for background checks in May 2026 and targets May 2027Psychology compact
Pass a law to join PSYPACT
S.1487 and H.2528 pending; the Senate added PSYPACT to its economic development bill July 23, 2026Physician assistant compact
Pass a law to join the PA Licensure Compact
H.2531 sent to House Ways and Means July 23, 2026Massachusetts enacted the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2024 but has not put it into effect, and it does not belong to the physician, psychology, EMS or 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 Massachusetts's spending data
Use the numbers in Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts announcements
EOHHS invites the state's six rural hospitals (Athol, Martha's Vineyard, Fairview, North Adams Regional, Nantucket Cottage and Baystate Wing) to request up to $2.5 million each for capital projects, with applications due October 26.
EOHHS names the 35 members of the RHTP Community Advisory Council, which will advise on how funds are distributed.
EOHHS publishes its first RHTP newsletter, naming Kirby Lecy program director and saying procurements for vendors and rural providers will open on COMMBUYS.
Governor Healey announces the $162 million Year 1 award.
CMS awards Massachusetts $162.0 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
- Jul 23, 2026Community Advisory Council named
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Oct 26, 2026Rural hospital capital applications due
- Oct 30, 2026Deadline to obligate Year 1 funds; Budget Period 1 ends
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- May 2027Target date to put the Nurse Licensure Compact into effect
- Sep 30, 2027Deadline to spend Year 1 funds
- 2030Final year of the five-year program
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
Massachusetts has six rural hospitals, down from 11 in 2014, and all six were invited to request up to $2.5 million each for capital projects in October 2026. The plan calls for five facility rounds through 2029, so expect more capital rounds in later years.
For partners and vendors
EOHHS buys through COMMBUYS, and the plan's lanes include tech-enabled mobile health units, telehealth, remote monitoring, a health information exchange hub, cybersecurity and a live bed and service tracking platform. Workforce procurements were planned for late 2026 and EMS reimbursement pilots for 2027.
For applicants and grantees
Build tracking for the measures Massachusetts reports to CMS, such as emergency visits for diabetes and hypertension and preventive care visits, before an award lands. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, and Year 1 funds must be spent by September 30, 2027.
FAQ
Massachusetts RHTP FAQs
Who runs Massachusetts's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) runs Massachusetts's Rural Health Transformation Program with MassHealth and the Department of Public Health, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). EOHHS manages the state's plan, posts funding opportunities and answers questions at Rural@mass.gov. The program is Massachusetts's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Massachusetts receive?
Massachusetts received $162,005,238 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 46th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Massachusetts's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Massachusetts's progress.
Can Massachusetts RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Massachusetts's award each year, about $32.4 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $24.3 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Where can I see how Massachusetts is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Massachusetts'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 made after July 31, such as the October 2026 capital round for six rural hospitals, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Massachusetts
These RHT Alliance members serve Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.