North Carolina Receives $100 Million for Rural Health
The federal Rural Health Transformation Program awarded the state an initial $100 million to support rural healthcare over five fiscal years.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Healthcare
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The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services awarded North Carolina an initial $100 million to support rural healthcare. The state will use year-two funding to move rural healthcare projects from planning to implementation.
Why it matters
More than 3.5 million North Carolina residents live in rural communities, and the state has the second-largest rural population in the United States. The funding follows an economic bill signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025, which projects significant losses to health care funding in the state over the next decade.
North Carolina's initial award is $100 million, while the state's Department of Health and Human Services reported spending more than $213 million during year one of the program. The source does not specify how year-two funds will be divided among projects.
The players
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The federal agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid and awarded North Carolina its initial rural health funding.
Donald Trump
The current President of the United States, who signed the economic bill that created the Rural Health Transformation Program.
NC Department of Health and Human Services
The North Carolina state agency that oversees public health programs and published the dashboard tracking program spending.
The details
The NC Department of Health and Human Services created a dashboard showing where the state spent program funds in year one. Year-one money established NC ROOTS Hubs to lead initiatives, funded EMS agencies in Washington and Lenoir County, and expanded opioid treatment provider services in Bertie County.
Timeline
July 4, 2025: President Donald Trump signed the economic bill that created the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Year one: The state spent more than $213 million and established NC ROOTS Hubs.
Year two: North Carolina begins moving its rural healthcare projects from planning to implementation.
Next ten years: North Carolina is projected to lose tens of billions of dollars in health care funding under the economic bill.
Healthcare Landscape
The Rural Health Transformation Program was created by the economic bill signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025, and North Carolina's awards are the first phase of its five-year funding. The state's projected loss of tens of billions of dollars in health care funding over the next decade stands in tension with this new rural investment.
Residents in North Carolina's rural counties may see new emergency medical services, opioid treatment access, and health hubs funded through this program. Households in these areas could feel the effects of the projected decade-long reduction in federal health care funding.
The takeaway
Rural residents in North Carolina should watch how year-two funds are allocated, since the state's plans for local projects will determine which communities gain new services.
What happens next
North Carolina will use year-two funding to move its rural healthcare projects from planning into implementation.
Further reading
For more on the state's healthcare policy and funding, browse Healthcare coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Witn.
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