The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has scheduled the first Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting for January 22. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Montana State University campus, hosted by the Montana Office of Rural Health.
The advisory committee was created to provide guidance to DPHHS on how best to implement RHTP initiatives. The upcoming meeting will focus on discussing project goals and collecting public feedback, but no funding decisions are expected during this session. While the meeting is open to the public, some segments will be closed. Registration is required, and more information about registration, agenda, directions, and parking can be found on the ORH website.
In December 2025, Governor Greg Gianforte and DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton announced that Montana received a $233 million investment from the Trump administration aimed at stabilizing and modernizing rural health care in the state. “Awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), these funds will support Montana’s rural health care providers in delivering sustainable, high-quality, affordable care.”
This amount represents the first-year installment of a five-year federal grant program that could bring up to $1.2 billion to Montana over its duration.
Montana’s application for these funds was submitted by DPHHS in November 2025 and resulted in one of the largest awards among all states.
States are required by CMS to submit revised budgets reflecting their awards by January 30, 2026. DPHHS is currently adjusting its budget to prioritize programs that can have significant impact and effectively use additional funding.
Once finalized, most funds will be distributed through competitive bidding at bids.mt.gov; other methods may include grants or contracts with agencies such as the Department of Labor & Industry.
Any direct funding opportunities for communities or providers will be announced on ruralhealth.mt.gov.
For updates and more details about available resources or frequently asked questions, individuals are encouraged to visit ruralhealth.mt.gov or contact HHSRuralHealthTransformation@mt.gov.
