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# Georgia Submits $218.9 Million Rural Health Plan
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-georgia-2026-09-19-a/
- Published: 2026-09-19T07:25:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T07:25:45.000Z
- Description: Georgia submitted a revised $218.9 million first-year rural health plan for federal approval, proposing major investments in value-based care, technology, workforce programs, telehealth and rural hospital support.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Alabama, Georgia

Georgia has submitted a revised $218.9 million first-year rural health plan to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, with final federal approval still pending, according to the [Georgia Department of Community Health](https://dch.georgia.gov/georgias-application-rht-program?ref=theamericanquorum.com).

The GREAT Health proposal would direct the largest first-year allocation, $56.75 million, toward preparing rural hospitals and primary-care providers for a value-based payment model. The state’s [pending budget](https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/budget-spreadsheet-y1-award-balanced0/download?ref=theamericanquorum.com) also sets aside about $54.95 million for health technology, $36.88 million for workforce programs, $34.97 million for expanding access to care and $15.21 million for a continuum-of-care initiative. Administration accounts for about $20.1 million.

[DCH said](https://dch.georgia.gov/georgias-application-rht-program?ref=theamericanquorum.com) it adjusted the proposal to match Georgia’s federal award and submitted the new budget and project narrative to CMS. The agency said the revised documents are awaiting final approval before the state proceeds with funding the initiatives. That caveat means the line items remain proposed allocations rather than completed grants or services.

The [access package](https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/budget-spreadsheet-y1-award-balanced0/download?ref=theamericanquorum.com) includes $10 million for a telehealth multi-hub model, $9.54 million for rural stabilization grants, $7.37 million for telehealth pods and mobile clinics, and $3.61 million for rural perinatal care. The technology initiative includes $20 million for eligibility-system upgrades, $10.2 million for consumer engagement, $9 million for a rural technology catalyst fund and $4.6 million for cybersecurity.

The state’s [revised project narrative](https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/great-health-application-y1-award-revision/download?ref=theamericanquorum.com) says the program is aimed at 126 counties and rural portions of counties under the federal rural designation used for the grant. It describes 2.4 million rural residents and substantial access gaps: 53 rural counties have no hospital, 82 of Georgia’s 159 counties have no obstetrician-gynecologist, and 63 have no pediatrician.

Georgia also published an [eligible-hospital list](https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/great-health-vbc-hospital-list0/download?ref=theamericanquorum.com) for the value-based care portion of the plan. DCH said those facilities received invitations to submit letters of intent for a pre-implementation period tied to the federal AHEAD model. The list includes critical-access hospitals, rural hospitals and regional referral centers across the state; an invitation is not the same as a grant award or a commitment to participate.

The underlying federal [Rural Health Transformation Program](https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/rural-health?ref=theamericanquorum.com) provides $50 billion over five federal fiscal years, from 2026 through 2030\. CMS says half of each year’s $10 billion is divided equally among approved states and half is allocated through factors that include rural population and the mix and condition of rural facilities.

Georgia’s plan combines immediate equipment and infrastructure projects with longer-term changes in payment and care delivery. Its [workforce budget](https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/budget-spreadsheet-y1-award-balanced0/download?ref=theamericanquorum.com) includes $21.6 million for provider and graduate-medical-education enhancements and $7.82 million for emergency-services scholarships. The practical next step is federal approval: until CMS signs off, local providers and communities can use the documents to see the state’s priorities and likely sequencing, but they should not treat the listed amounts as final awards.