Senator Collins Announces More than $190 Million in Second-Year Rural Health Transformation Program Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that Maine will receive $190,358,993 in second-year funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative she proposed to support rural health care systems across the country over five years. Maine has the oldest population in the nation by median age and is among the most rural states, placing unique strains on its rural health care system. This award is nearly $360,000 larger than last year’s award, reflecting Maine’s progress toward implementation of program goals. “I am pleased that Maine will once again receive $190 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program, plus additional funds to reflect the progress the State has made in implementing the program,” said Senator Collins. “Funding from this program has already been used to protect the Penobscot Community Health Center from bankruptcy and will be crucial to helping rural health care providers in Maine innovate to lower costs and improve health outcomes for Mainers no matter where they live.” The Rural Health Transformation Program represents the largest single federal investment in rural health care in more than two decades. Senator Collins proposed the funding during negotiations over amendments to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act . She successfully pushed to expand the RHTP to $50 billion and ensure that a broader range of rural providers would be eligible for support, despite voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The first awards from this program were announced last December . The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will continue to distribute the remaining funding in tranches of $10 billion over each of the next three years. The State of Maine’s plan for RHTP funding, developed with the support of the entire congressional delegation , focuses on five core priorities: empowering rural Mainers to achieve their own healthy living goals; strengthening the rural health care workforce; adopting technologies such as telehealth and electronic medical records; reducing financial and transportation-related barriers to care; and ensuring the long-term viability of Maine’s rural health care system. ###