Texas Plans $87 Million More for 129 Rural Health Providers. Here Is Where the Money Is Meant to Go

For many small Texas towns, the nearest hospital is also the biggest employer and the only place to go when a heart attack or a farm accident cannot wait. A new round of federal money is aimed at keeping those doors open.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday, Oct. 29, that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission plans to award about $87 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 129 rural health care providers across the state, according to the governor's office. The exact figure is $87,248,124.49.

"Rural Texas communities deserve access to top-notch, reliable care," Abbott said. He said the money will help recruit and keep the next generation of health care workers, replace aging medical equipment and strengthen facilities.

Where the money goes

This round funds three of the program's six initiatives.

"Make Rural Texans Healthy Again" helps rural hospital districts improve outcomes for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease and obesity.

"Next Generation of the Small Town Doctor and Team" helps rural communities recruit, train and keep physicians, emergency medical workers and other health care staff.

"Infrastructure and Capital Investments for Rural Texas" replaces old medical equipment and improves existing buildings.

State Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said the awards "will build on the work medical teams do every day to care for rural Texans."

Federal money, with strings

Every dollar comes from Washington. Rural Texas Strong is Texas's federally approved plan under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Rural Health Transformation Program, and it is 100% federally funded. The state expects an estimated $1.4 billion over five years.

This round is part of the roughly $281.3 million first-year award Texas received from CMS.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the Trump administration's program is giving states the resources "to strengthen rural health care and help families get better care closer to home."

Not final yet

These are planned awards, not money in the bank. The governor's office says HHSC will keep announcing its intent to award funding each week as applications are reviewed, and that funding becomes available only after contracts are finalized. The $1.4 billion five-year figure is an estimate, and federal funding depends on Texas meeting all program requirements.

What it means for rural families

For a rural patient, the payoff would be practical: a doctor who stays, an ambulance crew that is fully staffed, a working scanner close to home instead of a two-hour drive. Whether that happens will depend on how carefully the money is spent and whether the program lasts all five years.

Rural hospitals and clinics that want to follow the process can sign up for the state's email notices on Rural Texas Strong, which carry public notices and new funding opportunities. The governor's office says the full list of planned recipients is posted with the commission's Rural Health Transformation materials, so residents can see whether their own county hospital or clinic is on it.

Families weighing their own coverage can also check what is changing in ACA marketplace open enrollment, and read about the federal kidney care plan unveiled in Fort Worth. Caring for the sick in places far from big cities is a good work, and Texans should expect both the help and the accountability that comes with public money.