For the second year in a row, the Granite State has received funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for rural health transformation.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced renewal of the award on Tuesday, saying the state has received $204,312,551, bringing the total rural health funds to over $408 million thus far.
“We’re ready to continue New Hampshire’s bold effort to expand access to high-quality, innovative, and affordable care for every Granite Stater,” Ayotte said in her statement.
The state’s rural health program, created by Ayotte, functions under the name GO-NORTH, an acronym for Governor’s Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health.
The program’s goals center on the more remote areas of the state, with a focus on broadening access to care at hospitals and health centers, plus telehealth services. GO-NORTH aims to strengthen the healthcare workforce in rural areas through education and career opportunities, and to make all those healthcare systems more financially sustainable.
Other areas of focus include managing chronic diseases and working on behavioral and maternal health, in addition to overall prevention of health issues.
President Trump’s administration created the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1., to support healthcare initiatives in states across the country. However, that same legislation significantly cut Medicaid funding and introduced new eligibility and work requirements for those it insured.
“As the program enters its second year, this next round of funding will help New Hampshire build on the progress made in year one and continue working toward lasting improvements in access, quality, and health outcomes for rural communities,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a statement.
Each state must report its progress, which determines how much it will receive for the second year.
GO-NORTH Director Donnalee Lozeau said the first year of the New Hampshire program was about building a “strong, accountable foundation.”
“We have invested more than $11 million in rural emergency medical services and Mobile Integrated Health, and launched investment opportunities in rural primary care, school-based oral health, rural hospitals, youth and adult health care workforce education, rural home health, children’s behavioral health access, and community mental health,” she said in a statement.
The state Department of Health and Human Services has worked with GO-NORTH on those efforts.
