WSMA to HCA: Physician Workforce Investments Key to Rural Health Transformation Program

With passage of H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” in the rearview mirror, eyes now turn to the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, a provision of the legislation intended to mitigate the effects of the substantial health care funding cuts in H.R. 1 on rural residents.

Administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the program will provide $10 billion annually for five years starting in 2026 shared amongst every approved state. To receive funding, states must submit a Rural Health Transformation Plan that addresses specific, required components. As reported in a recent WSMA Advocacy Report, in anticipation of the Health Care Authority’s submission for Washington state, the WSMA met with the governor’s office, the Department of Health, and the HCA to discuss areas of potential investments for funding.

In our feedback to the state, we emphasized that access challenges in our rural communities cannot be solved without investments in our physician workforce to ensure patients can access preventive, acute, and chronic disease primary and specialty care closer to home and in lower-cost settings. By directing Rural Health Transformation Program funding toward broad investments that strengthen our physician workforce, increase access to preventive and chronic care, and leverage proven programs and technologies, the state can ensure these communities have sustainable, high-quality medical care well beyond the life of the federal funding.

The WSMA has been clear on the matter: While funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program would be welcome, it won’t be sufficient to keep physicians and health care facilities whole. We must look at a broader set of policy changes, including reform of Medicare physician payment and increased Medicaid reimbursements for physicians through the Medicaid Access Program. We’ll need creative, practical thinking to address our community health needs now and long-term. The priorities as outlined in our feedback and the funding available through this new CMS program would be steps in the right direction.