New Hampshire has been awarded $204,312,551 for the second year of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, Gov. Kelly Ayotte's office announced Nov. 10. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced second-year awards to all 50 states on Nov. 9.

CMS's Nov. 9 table of second-year awards shows New Hampshire's amount is the highest in New England. Maine is next at $190,358,993, about $14 million less. The state's rural health transformation work is directed by GO-NORTH, according to the governor's release.

What the release says about the first year

The governor's office calls the award an increase over the first year. Its release gives the two-year total as more than $408 million but does not state the first-year amount.

According to the release, second-year awards were set in part by each state's progress in carrying out its CMS-approved plan. In the first year, the release says, they were not. All 50 states filed annual progress reports, which CMS reviewed in setting the funding levels.

GO-NORTH director Donnalee Lozeau said the award "reflects CMS's confidence in New Hampshire's approach." The release does not say how CMS scored New Hampshire's report or how the state's progress was measured against other states.

What GO-NORTH says it has invested

Lozeau said the program has invested more than $11 million in rural emergency medical services and Mobile Integrated Health. The release lists other areas where GO-NORTH has launched investment opportunities, without dollar figures:

  • rural primary care and school-based oral health

  • rural hospitals and rural home health

  • health care workforce education for young people and adults

  • children's behavioral health access and community mental health

The release also describes work with the Department of Health and Human Services on Medicaid payment models intended to keep hospital and primary care services available in rural areas. It does not say how much of the first-year money has been awarded to recipients or how much remains.

What comes next

Lozeau said the second-year award will let GO-NORTH "issue additional awards over the next year." The release gives no schedule or amounts for those awards. GO-NORTH's partners are the Foundation for Healthy Communities, the Community College System of New Hampshire, the University System of New Hampshire, the Community Development Finance Authority and the New Hampshire Community Behavioral Health Association.

The state's plan and program information are on gonorth.nh.gov. The announcement is in the governor's Nov. 10 release.