Montana Seeks Federal Funds to Revamp Rural Healthcare System
HELENA, Mont. – Montana has submitted a plan to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking a share of $1 billion in funding thru the Rural Health Conversion Program, state officials announced Wednesday. The initiative aims to address critical challenges facing rural healthcare delivery across the state, focusing on workforce growth, access to care, innovative models, community health, and technology upgrades.
The state’s submission outlines five core initiatives designed for enduring enhancement.These include bolstering recruitment and training for rural healthcare providers in partnership with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, stabilizing rural facility finances through partnerships and telehealth expansion, and strengthening value-based payment models.
A key component of the plan focuses on leveraging Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to reduce costly emergency room visits. Officials hope to expand reimbursement options for EMS providers, allowing them to provide more on-site care and possibly avoid unnecessary hospital transports.
“The goal of this initiative is to expand the reimbursement that they can get,” said rebecca de Camara, with the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). “Preventing unnecessary emergency department visits would save money.”
Concerns have been raised about patients intentionally refusing transport to avoid billing costs, a practice that leaves EMS providers covering staffing and product expenses. While de Camara stated she doesn’t no if this is widespread, she acknowledged the current system’s structure creates a need for increased on-site treatment options.
The funding allocation formula prioritizes states based on need: 50% will be divided equally among approved states, 25% based on rurality, and 25% based on alignment with CMS criteria. DPHHS believes Montana’s application is competitive and is preparing for implementation should the state receive funding.
“We’ll continue our planning so that we are ready to go once the money starts rolling into the state,” de Camara said.
The plan also includes infrastructure upgrades and initiatives promoting healthy lifestyles, expanding primary, behavioral, and dental health services in schools, and modernizing Electronic Health Record systems for rural providers.
Montana’s full application is available at https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/ruralhealthtransformation/RHTP-Plan.pdf,and further facts about the program can be found at https://dphhs.mt.gov/RuralHealthTransformationProgramRFI.