Rural Health
Funding by Sponsor: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

CMS Health Equity Award
Awards for organizations that are using the CMS Framework for Health Equity to advance health equity and reduce disparities in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes.

Rural Community Hospital Demonstration
A demonstration program designed to test the feasibility and advisability of cost-based reimbursement for small rural hospitals that are too large to be Critical Access Hospitals.

Connecting Kids to Coverage Healthy Kids Outreach and Enrollment Grants
Grants to organizations that help families with children and pregnant individuals enroll in health coverage opportunities, including Medicaid, CHIP, and insurance affordability programs. Rural and tribal communities are considered target populations.

Medicare Physician Bonuses in Health Professional Shortage Areas
Medicare bonus payments to physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).

Quality Payment Program Exceptions Inactive
The opportunity to apply for exceptions to meeting Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program requirements. The 2 exceptions include extreme and uncontrollable circumstances and promoting interoperability hardship.

Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Application Inactive
CMS eligible hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) may be exempted from the Medicare Promoting Interoperability payment adjustment if they can show that compliance with the requirement for being a meaningful EHR user would result in a significant hardship. Eligible hospitals and CAHs may submit a hardship exception application each year for a maximum of 5 years.

States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model Inactive
A state total cost of care (TCOC) model that works to drive state and regional healthcare transformation and multi-payer alignment, with the goal of improving the total health of a state population and lowering costs. The AHEAD Model will provide participating states with funding and other tools to address rising healthcare costs and support health equity.

Medicare Shared Savings Program Advance Investment Payments Inactive
The Medicare Shared Savings Program offers providers and suppliers an opportunity to create an Accountable Care Organization that is held accountable for the quality, cost, and experience of care of an assigned Medicare fee-for-service beneficiary population through different payment models. Advance Investment Payments are designed to encourage healthcare providers in rural and underserved areas to join together to form an Accountable Care Organizations.

Minority Research Grant Program Inactive
Grants to to encourage innovative health services research that can directly contribute to the improvement of health outcomes for people from all minority populations, which includes racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with limited English proficiency, rural populations, and individuals adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native Children Inactive
Grants for outreach to increase the enrollment and retention of American Indian and Alaska Native children, parents, and pregnant individuals in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.