Kennedy says Trump's health care funds prioritize forgotten rural Americans.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new dietary guidelines and said the administration is awarding $50 billion to rural communities nationwide through the Rural Health Transformation program to support workforce development, telehealth, technology and other projects.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new dietary guidelines and outlined a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program aimed at rural communities across all 50 states. The administration says the funding comes from the president's working families tax cut legislation and is intended to boost services and infrastructure in areas with persistent health gaps. Officials describe the program as supporting recruitment and retention, telehealth expansion, new technologies, emergency and behavioral care, and nutrition and exercise programs. The announcement frames the effort as a response to long-standing disparities in rural health outcomes. Key details: - $50 billion awarded to rural communities in all 50 states under the Rural Health Transformation program, as described by the Department of Health and Human Services. - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posted a Notice of Funding Opportunity in September that invited innovative state proposals. - Examples cited in the announcement include Alabama's telerobotic ultrasound for prenatal scans; Delaware's AI-powered clinical documentation tools; Alaska's drone medication delivery proposal; Georgia's obstetric carts for rural emergency rooms; Arizona's rural clinical rotations; and Nebraska's plan to transform school kitchens. - The program is described as supporting workforce recruitment and training, telehealth expansion, modernization of health information technology, improved emergency and behavioral care, strengthened rural provider partnerships, new payment models, and nutrition programs. - The article cites a CMS Office of the Actuary estimate that rural hospitals received about 7% of total Medicaid hospital spending (approximately $19 billion in 2024) and refers to a study reporting limited improvements at critical access hospitals after earlier Medicaid expansions. - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is identified as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and Dr. Mehmet Oz is named as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Summary: The administration presents the RHT program as a targeted investment intended to address persistent rural health disparities by funding state-led projects and innovations. States proposed a range of initiatives and the department says awards will support implementation; specific nationwide timelines and full outcome details are undetermined at this time.