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The Alaska Department of Health announced the first group of projects to be awarded millions in federal funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program on Friday, ahead of an October deadline.
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Officials the first $4.5 million of the state’s $272 million in funding will be awarded to 19 projects serving communities statewide, with additional funding to be announced each Friday as the review process is finalized.
Congress created the Rural Health Transformation Program last year as part of the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” to offset the fallout from the legislation’s nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid spending cuts over the next decade — particularly in rural communities.
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Roughly one in three Alaskans is enrolled in Medicaid, and more than half of them live in a rural area, according to a 2025 analysis by KFF Health News. Coverage for children and the federal Medicaid matching rate will remain unchanged.
Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, is chair of the House Health and Social Services Committee, was enthusiastic about the announcement. She said Alaskans face the challenges of complying with new Medicaid requirements enacted by HR 1, the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which passed last year.
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