Cornyn: Texas Receives Additional $78 Million to Improve Rural Health Care

Cornyn: Texas Receives Additional $78 Million to Improve Rural Health Care News Cornyn: Texas Receives Additional $78 Million to Improve Rural Health Care Funding Made Possible Through Cornyn-Supported Working Families Tax Cuts Act October 16, 2026 AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the allocation of an additional $78 million to 216 rural hospital districts in Texas for chronic disease prevention, workforce recruitment and retention, equipment upgrades, and facility improvements. The funding comes from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which Sen. Cornyn championed and helped establish through enactment of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act : “ Investing in rural health care is just one of the key components of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which will improve the lives of countless Texans, ” said Sen. Cornyn. “ I was proud to support this legislation, now law, to establish the Rural Health Transformation Program, and I am glad to see this additional $78 million in funding to help Texans with chronic conditions access care across the Lone Star State. ” Background: The funding will support community-based prevention, wellness, and nutrition programs to improve health outcomes and address chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and obesity. These resources are in addition to the initial allocation announced in September of $51 million to 68 rural hospital districts across Texas. Last year, Sen. Cornyn announced the Trump administration allocated $281,319,361 for Texas from the Rural Health Transformation Program. Prior to that, Sen. Cornyn and Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) led a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, urging him to prioritize funding for the State of Texas. Sen. Cornyn also released a statement in support of Texas’ application last November. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act , now law, established the Rural Health Transformation Program at CMS to strengthen access to health care and modernize health systems in rural areas by allocating $50 billion for the program over a period of five years. States were required to apply for funding. More information about the RHTP can be found here .