Strengthen the rural health care workforce
Workforce grants run by the Department of Workforce Development, health career pathways from high school through residency, and community health worker programs.
RHTP state profile · Wisconsin
Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program
Wisconsin received $203.7 million in Year 1 of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program, 23rd of 50 states. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) runs the program, which funds three initiatives across 71 of Wisconsin's 72 counties, every county except Milwaukee, from rural workforce grants and clinic technology upgrades to regional care coordination.
Year 1 awards, all 50 statesWI: $203.7M
Texas $281.3MNew Jersey $147.3M
$203.7MYear 1 award, 23rd of 50
3Funded initiatives
71 / 72Wisconsin counties are rural or semi-rural
DHSWisconsin Department of Health 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
Wisconsin's program at a glance
The award is fixed for the year. Spending moves every quarter, so Wisconsin'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$203,670,005, 23rd of 50 states
Run byWisconsin Department of Health Services
Budget Period 1December 29, 2025 to October 30, 2026
Initiatives3
Counties of focus71 of 72
Spending data through July 31, 2026Wisconsin's section of the Year One Report →Initiatives
What does Wisconsin's RHTP fund?
Wisconsin's RHTP funds three initiatives, built from eight projects, covering the rural workforce, technology and coordinated care. Every funding opportunity DHS and its partner agencies post maps to one of these three.
Drive rural technology and innovation
Technology funds for rural clinics and hospitals, dental technology grants, closed-loop referrals, telehealth and a statewide digital navigation platform.
Transform rural care through partnerships
Regional care coordination grants, behavioral health projects and Medicaid reforms, including rural health clinic payment changes and $500,000 a year for each Tribal Nation.
Recipients by initiative are in Wisconsin's section of the RHTP Year One Report.
Source documents
Wisconsin's full plan is public
The approved plan has more detail than any summary: goals, partners, metrics and timelines for each project. Read it before responding to a Wisconsin solicitation.
PDFDHSWisconsin RHTP Application NarrativeThe full plan from DHS, including all three initiatives, the eight projects and the lists of rural and semi-rural counties.PDFDHSWisconsin RHTP Complete ApplicationThe narrative plus the budget and supporting materials DHS sent to CMS, with some budget amounts redacted.PDFDHSWisconsin RHTP Application SummaryDHS's short summary of the plan.PDFDHSRHTP Implementation Webinar SlidesDHS's February 2026 overview, with Year 1 budgets for each project.PDFCMSCMS 50-State SpotlightsCMS's short profile of each state's program, including Wisconsin's.PDFCMSCMS State Project AbstractsEach state's own summary, side by side.
Rural or semi-rural county (71)Milwaukee County (1)
Eligibility
Which Wisconsin counties are eligible for RHTP funding?
Wisconsin's program covers 71 of the state's 72 counties, every county except Milwaukee County: 32 counties the plan classifies as rural and 39 it classifies as semi-rural, based on the 2020 U.S. Census. Semi-rural counties include Dane, Brown and Waukesha. Some rounds favor fully rural counties; the Rural Technology Transformation Fund, for example, adds weight to the scores of organizations that serve rural counties. Each solicitation states its own eligibility.
How to apply
How can Wisconsin providers apply for RHTP funding?
Wisconsin providers apply through competitive grants from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, listed on its RHTP page and its Current Grant Funding Opportunities page, and through partner agencies such as the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). State contracts run through eSupplier, Wisconsin's procurement portal. 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 three initiatives and the projects in Wisconsin's plan.
- Watch for new rounds.Join the DHS RHTP email list, check DHS's grant funding opportunities page and register as a bidder in eSupplier. DHS expects the full care coordination round in February 2027 and Round 2 of the Rural Technology Transformation Fund in 2027.
- Register in SAM.gov.It is standard for federally funded grants and contracts.
- Plan for federal rules.Grant recipients follow federal grant, reporting and audit rules, and some DHS grants pay only after costs are incurred. A Single Audit applies at $1 million or more in federal spending a year.
- Ask DHS directly.Email DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov. For free help with applications and evaluation plans, email RHTP-evaluation@wisc.edu.
Federal terms
Four rules that shape every award
Federal terms follow the money down to every Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's RHTP funding pay for?
Wisconsin's RHTP funding can pay for work on existing facilities, uncovered care, technology and administration, within federal caps on each use. Applied to Wisconsin's Year 1 award, the maximums are:
Capital and infrastructure20% of award
About $40.7M
Provider payments15% of award
About $30.6M
Administrative costs10% of award
About $20.4M
Rural Tech Catalyst Fund10% or $20M, whichever is less
$20.0M
Replacing an existing EMR system5% of award
About $10.2M
Provider payments and capital
Provider payments cover services insurance doesn't pay for, quality bonuses and outcome-based payments tied to Wisconsin'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
Wisconsin's policy commitments carry deadlines
Wisconsin made one state policy commitment in its application, on SNAP purchase restrictions, according to CMS. It is not done yet. CMS can reduce or recover funding if commitments slip.
SNAP soda and candy restriction
Seek a federal waiver to bar FoodShare (SNAP) purchases of candy and soft drinks
2025 Wisconsin Act 116, signed March 23, 2026, requires DHS to seek the waiver; no USDA approval yetWisconsin already belongs to the physician, nurse, psychology, physician assistant and physical therapy licensure compacts, but not the EMS compact.
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 Wisconsin's spending data
Use the numbers in Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin announcements
The Department of Public Instruction starts its RHTP health career pathway grants for rural school districts, worth up to $41,000 a year each.
DHS opens Round 1 of the Rural Technology Transformation Fund, about $61 million over three years for rural health clinics and FQHCs named in Wisconsin's plan.
Gov. Tony Evers and DHS open the first $40 million in RHTP grants, for care coordination, community health workers and rural dental technology.
DHS names a 23-member RHTP Advisory Council and seeks a vendor for a statewide shared electronic health record system.
Gov. Evers signs 2025 Wisconsin Act 116, requiring DHS to seek a federal waiver barring FoodShare purchases of candy and soft drinks.
CMS approves DHS's revised Year 1 budget, and DHS presents its implementation plan in a public webinar.
CMS awards Wisconsin $203.7 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
- Feb 5, 2026CMS approves Wisconsin's revised Year 1 budget
- Mar 23, 20262025 Wisconsin Act 116 (SNAP waiver law) signed
- Jul 31, 2026End of the first CMS reporting window; Year One Report spending data runs through this date
- Oct 30, 2026Budget Period 1 ends; DWD WIG: HEART workforce grant period begins
- Nov 30, 2026Quarterly reports due; CMS refreshes funding data
- Feb 2027Full care coordination grant round expected, for planning grantees
- Summer 2027Rural Technology Transformation Fund Round 2 expected, for hospitals and other facilities
- 2030Final year of the five-year program; FIDE SNP expansion deadline
Implications
What this means
For rural hospitals
Hospitals were not eligible for Round 1 of the Rural Technology Transformation Fund, which went to rural health clinics and FQHCs. Round 2, about $148 million expected to start in summer or fall 2027, opens to hospitals, local health departments, Tribal and free clinics and opioid treatment programs. Care coordination planning grantees can apply for the four-year program in a round expected in February 2027.
For partners and vendors
Wisconsin runs much of its plan through named partners: DWD runs the WIG: HEART workforce grants, DPI runs school career pathway grants, and DHS sought a statewide EHR vendor through eSupplier in April 2026. Register as a bidder in eSupplier with the NIGP codes for your services to get notices. Workforce, technology and care coordination are the main lanes.
For applicants and grantees
Plan for cost-based reimbursement and reporting before an award lands. Technology fund grants pay only after costs are incurred, and grantees report on the metrics Wisconsin sends to CMS. Free technical assistance on data and evaluation plans is available at RHTP-evaluation@wisc.edu.
FAQ
Wisconsin RHTP FAQs
Who runs Wisconsin's Rural Health Transformation Program?
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) runs Wisconsin's Rural Health Transformation Program, using federal funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Its Office of Grants Management leads the work, and partner agencies such as the Department of Workforce Development run some projects. DHS posts funding opportunities and answers questions at DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov. The program is Wisconsin's share of the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
How much RHTP funding did Wisconsin receive?
Wisconsin received $203,670,005 for Year 1 of the Rural Health Transformation Program, 23rd of 50 states. Every state got $100 million in baseline funding, and the rest of Wisconsin's award was based on its rural needs, its policy commitments and the strength of its plan. Later years depend on Wisconsin's progress.
Can Wisconsin RHTP funding pay for construction?
No. RHTP funds can't pay for new construction, demolition or major expansions. Up to 20% of Wisconsin's award each year, about $40.7 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's plan, up to 15% of the award each year, about $30.6 million in Year 1. They can't raise rates for services providers already bill.
Where can I see how Wisconsin is spending its RHTP funding?
The RHTP Year One Report tracks how much of Wisconsin'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 from rounds that closed in August 2026, such as the Rural Technology Transformation Fund and community health worker grants, will appear after the next CMS refresh.
The Alliance
RHT Alliance members serving Wisconsin
These RHT Alliance members serve Wisconsin providers, with support that spans EHR and billing, virtual nursing, virtual care, virtual dental 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 Wisconsin's money as it moves
The RHTP Year One Report tracks obligations, initiatives and recipients for all 50 states after each CMS data release.