North Carolina will receive more than $200 million in federal funding to help expand rural health care.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Wednesday that $50 billion will be divided among all 50 states in the next five years. North Carolina is expected to receive $213,008,356.
The funding comes from President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, CMS said in a press release. The money is designed to “strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities.
“The funding will help expand access to care, strengthen the rural health workforce, and modernize facilities and technology, the release said.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said states are stepping forward with bold, creative plans to improve rural health. He said states understand their own needs best.
“It’s designed to allow you to right-size the system to push and catalyze needed change, to empower governors and other state leaders to do the things they probably wanted to do anyway. But now they have the money to do it,” said Dr. Oz.
Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement that the funding will be used for several new programs, including
- Locally governed “NC ROOTS” hubs to connect medical, mental health, and social supports
- Expansion of preventative health programs, chronic disease management, maternal health, and nutrition programs
- Increasing access to mental health services, including substance use disorder treatment
- Investing in the rural health care workforce
- Supporting more rural providers in transitioning to value-based care models, where providers are paid based on keeping people healthy and out of the hospital rather than on how many services are provided
- Enhancing technology in health care through artificial intelligence and expanded broadband access.
The plans include expanding preventive and emergency services, supporting clinical training, and investing in telehealth and cybersecurity.
“North Carolina has long been a leader in advancing rural health care solutions,” Stein said, “and we are excited about how this new program can support innovations to help make rural communities healthier. Our state’s rural communities are wonderful places to live and raise a family, but face unique health care challenges. This grant will connect more people to more high-quality health care.”
More details will be released Jan. 16, according to the press release.
Be the first to comment