Gov. Little establishes task force to secure $1B federal funding for rural health
News Team
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho is looking to bring in a massive federal investment to overhaul healthcare access and quality in its rural communities. On October 30th, Governor Brad Little signed an Executive Order establishing the “Making Rural Idaho Healthy Again Act” Task Force. The new Task Force is charged with developing and submitting Idaho’s application for significant federal aid.
The state is applying to secure $200 million annually for five years, totaling a $1 billion commitment from the federal government.
This funding stems from a larger $50 billion national program recently authorized by Congress, under the Rural Health Transformation Program created by President Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.”
The feds have set aside fifty billion dollars nationwide for this program —half split evenly among states that get approved, and the other half based on things like population, Hospital stability, and rural need.
“Idaho is a mostly rural state, and we are grateful for the significant investments President Trump and Congress have committed to improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in rural Idaho and across the country,” stated Little in the release. The Idaho Rural Health Task Force introduces a new level of collaboration and expertise as we prepare to submit Idaho’s application for this transformative new program.”
Little says the money, once secured, would go directly to address shortcomings in access, quality, and overall health outcomes across Idaho’s remote areas.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) is in the process of writing Idaho’s grant application, which is due Nov. 5. Idaho expects to learn how much it will receive on Dec. 31, 2025.