Goodsurance

Policy & oversight

West Virginia Receives 4.8 Million Dollars in Federal Funds to Recruit Rural Healthcare Workers and Expand Preventive Care

A September 9 CMS announcement delivered two grants of approximately 2.4 million dollars each to address workforce shortages and expand employer-based clinical services in rural West Virginia communities.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamSeptember 13, 2026

CMS announced on September 9, 2026, that West Virginia will receive 4.8 million dollars in federal rural health funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

The investment arrives as two separate awards of approximately 2.4 million dollars each.

West Virginia gets 4.8 million dollars to recruit rural healthcare workers and expand workplace clinics under the federal 50-billion-dollar Rural Health Transformation Program.

The first grant supports a statewide recruitment and relocation program for licensed healthcare professionals in rural areas. CMS set a first-year goal of recruiting at least 125 licensed healthcare workers. The program also covers home dialysis access, medical transportation, telehealth services, and chronic disease management for underserved communities.

The second grant flows through West Virginia's Health to Prosperity initiative to fund worksite clinics and employer-based healthcare services, extending preventive care to residents who live and work where traditional clinic access is limited.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is a national initiative funded at 50 billion dollars total, distributing grants in phases across all 50 states. It is designed to increase access to primary, behavioral, maternal, emergency, and specialty care in communities that have historically faced shortages of healthcare providers. Other states have received significantly larger awards in earlier funding rounds.

In plain words

West Virginia will get 4.8 million dollars from the federal government to improve healthcare in rural areas. About 2.4 million dollars will be used to bring at least 125 healthcare workers to places that do not have enough. Another 2.4 million dollars will help set up clinics at workplaces and expand preventive care. This money is part of a national program with 50 billion dollars total to help all 50 states improve rural healthcare. The goal is to give people in rural areas access to primary care, mental health care, and other services that can be hard to find in some communities.

Source: CMS
Read at the source →

More news

Other stories on what is moving in Medicare.

Policy & oversight

North Carolina Distributes 1.25 Million Dollars in Federal Rural Health Funds to Five School-Based Health Programs

Five organizations in rural North Carolina will receive federal Rural Health Transformation Program money to expand school-based health centers, with a focus on preventive care and behavioral health services for students in underserved communities.

September 14, 2026

Policy & oversight

Public Comment Window Closes Today on Medicare's 2027 Doctor Pay Rule That Would End Outsourced Remote Monitoring

The 60-day public comment period on the proposed 2027 Medicare physician fee schedule ended September 14. The rule would trim pay for most physicians and bar outsourced remote monitoring vendors from billing Medicare. A final rule is expected around November 1.

September 14, 2026

Policy & oversight

A Pending Medicare Rule Would Flag Platform-Affiliated Telehealth Visits on Claims for the First Time Starting in 2027

If finalized, a provision in Medicare's proposed 2027 physician payment rule would require providers to add new identifiers to claims whenever a telehealth visit is delivered through a contracted platform company. The change would not alter what Medicare pays, but it would make these arrangements visible in federal claims data for the first time. The public comment period closes September 14.

September 12, 2026

Policy & oversight

Federal Grant of 11.7 Million Dollars Targets Nursing Home and Long-Term Care in Rural Vermont

The Trump Administration announced the award September 10 as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, with Vermont's funding directed specifically at access, facilities, and workforce in nursing homes and long-term care settings.

September 11, 2026

Policy & oversight

Pennsylvania Receives 35 Million Dollars in Federal Rural Health Funds for Screening Equipment and Operating Rooms

The Trump Administration directed 35 million dollars from the Rural Health Transformation Program to Pennsylvania providers to buy screening machines, bring additional operating rooms online, and expand patient transportation.

September 10, 2026

Policy & oversight

Medicare Equipment Suppliers That Recently Enrolled Face Prior Authorization on Certain Items Starting October 15

A probationary prior authorization program takes effect October 15 for DMEPOS suppliers that joined Medicare after the six-month enrollment moratorium lifted in late August, adding an approval step before Medicare pays for certain covered items.

September 9, 2026