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Press Release Date: December 29, 2025

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New Hampshire Awarded Over $204 Million to Transform Rural Health

Granite State’s Award the Highest Among New England States

CONCORD, NH – The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded the State of New Hampshire over $204 million for 2026 as part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, the largest award among New England states. New Hampshire’s application requested $200 million annually throughout the duration of the five-year program to strengthen rural health care access, quality, and long-term sustainability.

“I am pleased that New Hampshire will receive over $204 million in 2026 to transform and strengthen rural health care across our state. We did this the New Hampshire way — with input from our providers, community health and mental health centers, other rural health stakeholders, and feedback from Granite Staters, and the hard work paid off,” said Governor Kelly Ayotte. “This is the beginning of a bold effort to expand access to affordable, high-quality care closer to home for Granite Staters in rural communities. I thank CMS for awarding us this critical funding, and I look forward to putting our innovative plan into action in the new year so we can deliver a healthier future for all of New Hampshire.”
The grant award follows months of collaboration among the Governor’s Office, the Executive Council, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to collect input from rural health stakeholders and seek feedback directly from Granite Staters. Throughout the process, Governor Ayotte has personally advocated for New Hampshire to receive this funding with both CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“I thank CMS for providing this significant award to our state and recognizing that our application reflects the needs of our rural communities,” said New Hampshire DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver. “It was important that the Department hear from as many stakeholders as possible as we worked to transform rural health care delivery in New Hampshire. I am grateful to all who provided input and look forward to working together to implement our plans and meet our goals.”
Governor Ayotte has established the Governor’s Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health (GO-NORTH) to oversee implementation of the program in New Hampshire. New Hampshire’s Rural Health Transformation Grant application, with input from more than 300 stakeholders, including hospitals, rural health care providers, community health centers, and direct feedback from Granite Staters, focused on the following areas:

• Make Rural America Healthy Again: Support rural health initiatives and new access points to promote preventive health and address root causes of diseases. Projects will use evidence-based, outcomes-driven interventions to improve disease management, behavioral health, and prenatal care.
• Sustainable Access: Help rural providers become long-term access points for care by improving efficiency and sustainability. With RHT Program support, rural facilities work together - or with high-quality regional systems - to share or coordinate operations, technology, primary and specialty care, and emergency services.
• Innovative Care: Spark the growth of innovative care models to improve health outcomes, coordinate care, and promote flexible care arrangements. Develop and implement payment mechanisms incentivizing providers or Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to reduce health care costs, improve quality care, and shift care to lower cost settings.
• Technology Innovation: Foster use of innovative technologies that promote efficient care delivery, data security, and access to digital health tools by rural facilities, providers, and patients. Projects support access to remote care, improve data sharing, and strengthen cybersecurity, and invest in emerging technologies.
• Workforce Development: Attract and retain a high-skilled health care workforce by strengthening recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural communities. Help rural providers practice at the top of their license and develop a broader set of providers to serve a rural community's needs, such as community health workers, pharmacists, and individuals trained to help patients navigate the healthcare system. Implementation planning is underway, with initial investments expected to support rural providers and communities beginning in 2026. In anticipation of the CMS award, the Governor and Council and the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee earlier this month approved an accept and expend for the anticipated grant award for the current biennium. The amount awarded today by CMS is for federal fiscal year 2026.

Read the summary of New Hampshire’s Rural Health Transformation program application.

For more information, please visit the Rural Health Transformation Program web page.

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