Mississippi received $205.9 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 20th of 50 states. The Mississippi Office of the Governor runs the program through its Rural Health Transformation Program Office, which funds five initiatives for rural communities statewide, where 65 of the state's 82 counties are rural, from EMS coordination and health technology to workforce, telehealth and rural facility upgrades.
Spending data in the RHTP Year One Report covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, the latest CMS reporting window.
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Mississippi'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.
Mississippi's RHTP funds five initiatives across regional emergency and care coordination, workforce, health technology, telehealth and rural infrastructure, guided by a statewide rural health assessment. Every funding opportunity the RHTP Office posts maps to one of the five.
Links EMS, hospitals, clinics, public health and social services in Regional Healthcare Districts, with EMS treat-in-place and AI decision support pilots, 911 upgrades and post-discharge care coordination.
Recruitment and retention awards, preceptor expansion, Earn While You Learn programs and high school health career outreach.
Technology grants for rural providers, EHR replacement for small providers, cybersecurity and a statewide health information exchange.
Telehealth hub connectivity, equipment and education, plus billing and coding help so providers can offer virtual care.
Psychiatric emergency services units, rural capital projects that close care gaps, and innovative pilot programs.
Recipients by initiative are in Mississippi's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
The approved plan has more detail than any summary: goals, partners, metrics and timelines for each initiative. Read it before responding to a Mississippi funding opportunity.
Mississippi's RHTP funding is open to projects that serve rural Mississippians in any county, and the plan counts as rural any county with fewer than 50,000 residents or fewer than 500 people per square mile, or any town under 15,000. By the state health department's count, 65 of Mississippi's 82 counties are rural, home to about 1.56 million people, or 53% of the state. Applicants don't have to be located in a rural area, but each NOFO requires them to show a benefit to rural residents.
Mississippi providers apply through Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) from the Mississippi RHTP Office, posted on its Funding Opportunities page and submitted through its online application portal. Vendor contracts, such as the statewide health information exchange, go through the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) procurement portal. Providers and vendors don't apply to CMS directly.
Federal terms follow the money down to every Mississippi recipient.
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.
States can't post funding opportunities until CMS approves their budget, so windows can open months into a budget period.
Recruitment and retention payments require clinicians to commit to serving rural communities for at least five years.
Under the Stevens Amendment, websites, social posts and other public materials about a funded project must name the federal funding.
Mississippi's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Mississippi's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Mississippi'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.
Mississippi committed to two policy actions in its application. One is done. CMS can reduce or recover funding if the rest slip.
Re-establish the Presidential Fitness Test in Mississippi schools
Executive Order 1589 signed October 30, 2025; starts in the 2026-2027 school yearExclude sugary drinks and foods with sugar as the first ingredient from SNAP purchases
Waiver requested October 31, 2025; not yet approved by USDAMississippi already belongs to the physician, nurse and EMS licensure compacts.
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.
Funds not obligated by the end of a budget period can't be obligated later and are redistributed to other states.
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.
CMS's Office of Rural Health Transformation plans site visits in all 50 states in 2026. Audits start in 2027.
Use the numbers in Mississippi's section of the RHTP Year One Report to understand direction and pace, not as an audit.
Obligated money is signed to a contract or grant. Cash reaches recipients later.
The data covers December 29, 2025 to July 31, 2026, as Mississippi reported it to CMS. Commitments made after July 31, 2026 are not counted yet.
The CMS report has no recipient column. Search Mississippi's line item descriptions by name.
CMS updates the data after each quarterly state report, starting with the November 30, 2026 filing.
Governor Reeves announces 60 workforce and psychiatric emergency services awards totaling $32.6 million, including three EmPATH crisis units.
The RHTP Office opens the $16 million Innovative Pilot Program Grant, followed on October 21 by the $9.5 million EHR Replacement for Small Rural Providers program.
Governor Reeves announces 167 awards totaling $104.1 million for rural provider technology, rural capital projects and telehealth hubs.
More than 700 first-round applications seek over $676 million, against about $82 million available in that round.
Governor Reeves launches the Mississippi RHTP Office and mississippirhtp.com, with Richard Grimes as project director.
CMS awards Mississippi $205.9 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.
The first capital round sent $43.3 million to 43 projects that close rural care gaps, and three hospitals won EmPATH psychiatric emergency units. Small hospitals with 60 or fewer beds can apply for EHR replacement funding through November 23, 2026, and CRIS funding for EMS coordination and post-discharge care is still to come.
MSDH is procuring a statewide health information exchange and health data utility, and every pilot grantee must commit to supporting it. CRIS plans call for 911 upgrades, nurse navigation lines and AI decision support for EMS, so watch for those NOFOs and for subrecipients buying under the state's procurement checklists.
Build tracking for the measures Mississippi reports to CMS before an award lands. Subrecipients can't opt out of reporting, must complete the RHTP Office's awardee training, and their results feed Mississippi's annual rescoring. Pilot program Year 1 funds must be spent or incurred by July 31, 2027.
The Mississippi Office of the Governor runs Mississippi's Rural Health Transformation Program through its Rural Health Transformation Program Office, led by project director Richard Grimes, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The office works with the Mississippi State Department of Health, which houses the State Office of Rural Health, and the Division of Medicaid. It posts funding opportunities at mississippirhtp.com and answers questions at info@mississippirhtp.com. The program is Mississippi's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
Mississippi received $205,907,220 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 20th of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Mississippi's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Mississippi's progress.
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Mississippi's award each year, about $41.2 million in Year 1, can go to work on existing facilities, such as renovations, accessibility upgrades, HVAC replacement and like-for-like equipment replacement.
Only for care that insurance doesn't already pay for. Provider payments can cover nonreimbursed services, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Mississippi's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $30.9 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Mississippi'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 the $104.1 million in September 2026 and $32.6 million in October 2026, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
These RHT Alliance members serve Mississippi 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.The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.