Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a working group that will advise state leaders on Alabama’s application to receive a portion of the $50 billion rural health fund.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will allocate money to rural health care to offset Medicaid cuts in the budget law.
“Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, Alabama and states across the country have an opportunity to make meaningful improvements in our rural healthcare systems,” Ivey said in a statement. “Alabama is a very rural state, and my goal is to ensure rural Alabamians have long-term and sustainable access to quality healthcare services.”
Alabama’s team that will work on the state plan for the money includes Ivey, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the Department of Finance and the Alabama Medicaid Agency. The state has to submit a plan for how it would use the funding by Nov. 5.
Ivey also appointed 20 members to an advisory group.
- Joseph Marchant, CEO, Bibb Medical Center
- Lother (Jim) Peace, President & CEO, Russell Medical Center
- Charles (Max) Rogers, IV, Obstetrics, North Baldwin Infirmary
- Susan Alverson, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Alabama Board of Pharmacy
- Scott Harris, State Health Officer
- Greg Nichols, Administrator, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital
- John Waits, CEO, Cahaba Medical Care
- Jeff Samz, CEO, Huntsville Hospital Health System
- Dawn Bulgarella, CEO, UAB Health System
- Natalie Fox, Interim CEO, USA Health
- Tuerk Schlesinger, CEO, AltaPointe Health
- Teresa Grimes, CEO, Washington County Hospital & Nursing Home
- Peggy Benson, Executive Officer, Alabama Board of Nursing Representative
- Clarence Ball, President and CEO, Ball Healthcare
- Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger
- State Senator Greg Albritton
- State Senator Bobby Singleton
- House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter
- State Representative Rex Reynolds
- State Representative Anthony Daniels
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the application for the rural health program on Monday. The $50 billion will be distributed evenly across five years, starting next year. Half of the money will be distributed to states that submit an approved application and the other half will be distributed according to CMS discretion. Awards will be announced before the end of the year.
“We look forward to working with the Governor’s Office, state partners and the Advisory Workgroup to make some transformational changes in the provision of services and care for the citizens in rural areas of our state,” SHPDA Executive Director Emily Marsal said in a statement.
Since Trump signed the law on July 4, the Governor’s Office has already received input from providers, stakeholders and interest groups on how to best administer the program.
The advisory group will meet regularly before the state submits its application.
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