CMS is directing $120 million to Indiana through the Rural Health Transformation Program, part of the $50 billion CMS awarded across all 50 states in December. The funding will support maternal and infant health services and other rural healthcare initiatives.
The funding will be distributed across eight regions and support projects focused on prenatal and postpartum navigation, maternal-fetal medicine and prenatal mental health services. It will also support a rural-focused obstetrics residency program.
The funding will also expand primary and behavioral healthcare access, including mobile medical and dental services and clinicians embedded in emergency departments. Other initiatives will focus on workforce recruitment, training and retention, regional transportation, chronic disease programs and food and nutrition programs.
Indiana’s award is the latest in a series of state-level disbursements CMS has announced in recent weeks, including $160 million to Alaska for 142 projects spanning robotic surgery, AI stroke detection and drone-based prescription delivery, and $3.15 million to Ohio to connect rural pharmacies to a statewide health information exchange.
However, the rollout has also drawn scrutiny from rural hospital leaders who worry funds could be absorbed by state-run initiatives without reaching providers directly, since states are not legally required to direct the money to hospitals.
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