Florida's rural hospitals will see an infusion of $209 million in federal money after the Joint Legislative Budget Commission approved a request Friday from the state's health care agency to authorize the funds.
The move transfers money from the Medical Care Trust Fund to support the Florida Rural Health Transformation Program.
ALSO READ: Florida will receive $209.9 million over five years to improve rural health care
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Dec. 29 announced the amounts of money that each state will receive through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was part of a tax package that President Donald Trump signed in July.
The program, which will be directed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, will provide funds through the state’s Medicaid program to expand access to care, help workforce retention and boost technological innovation, including remote care and emerging delivery models.
In its application to the federal government, Florida proposed the funds be used to support 31 counties and serve 1.2 million residents.
ALSO READ: Florida seeks share of $50 billion in federal funding for rural health care
An AHCA representative said counties can begin to apply for funding as early as this week, and applications are not limited to providers in rural areas.
The federal program will distribute $50 billion nationwide over five years, with $10 billion allocated annually from 2026 through 2030.
The agency also plans to apply for the same amount of funding from the federal government for next year.
