Montana’s Rural Health Windfall: A Bold Bet to Stabilize Care Amid Medicaid Shifts

Montana stands to receive about $233.5 million in 2026 from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, with a potential total of roughly $1.2 billion by 2031 if funding remains level. The state’s plan centers on five initiatives—workforce development, facility sustainability, innovative care models, community health investment, and modern IT—plus a proposed Center of Excellence (costing about $418 million) to assess needs and guide service realignment. Physical infrastructure spending is largely restricted, but funds could cover equipment or IT upgrades; Montana will issue RFPs as projects are defined and submit a revised budget by Jan. 30, with an advisory committee to provide input during the process.