CMS Rural Health Awards Highlight the Need to Support Rural Health Care

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® (AANP) welcomed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) announcement of state awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative designed to strengthen access to care in rural communities. The awards underscore the critical role of workforce policy in increasing access to high-quality health care for rural patients.

"These CMS awards and state plans recognize what nurse practitioners have long known: improving access to care improves lives," said AANP President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP. "AANP looks forward to working with states as they implement their RHTP awards and advance state-level policies that strengthen the health care workforce and improve health outcomes in rural communities."

CMS's scoring methodology underscored the impact that state licensure policy has on access to care by awarding additional funds to states with full practice authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners (NPs). States with FPA report positive benefits for rural health care access. For example, Arizona's NP workforce doubled in the years following FPA enactment, with the state reporting 70 percent growth in rural areas. The 27 states with FPA were eligible for added funding in this round of the RHTP awards and other states have voiced interest in removing practice barriers in the future.

"Full practice authority is a no-added-cost, no-delay way for states to grow their health care workforce, enhance access to care and improve health outcomes while decreasing health care costs," said Fuller. "As states look to maximize their Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and increase provider recruitment and retention, updating licensure laws is among the most immediate and effective tools available."

AANP remains committed to advancing workforce policies that ensure rural communities have access to the high-quality health care they need.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® is the largest professional membership organization representing the 461,000 licensed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner^®, AANP advances health policy and promotes excellence in practice, education and research to support high-quality, patient-centered care. Learn more at aanp.org.

SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)