Applications for the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program authorized under the CAA 2026 must be submitted at https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361524 no later than July 1, 2026.
The grant provides direct financial assistance to eligible hospitals for the maintenance of health care providers with the goal of maintaining essential health care services and preventing avoidable closures. Up to 10% of the funds may be used for administrative expenses.
Hospitals must meet all of the following criteria to qualify:
- Be located in a HRSA-designated rural area
- Have no more than 50 acute care inpatient beds
- Have an established Medicare wage index value below 0.90
HRSA published a preliminary list of hospitals meeting the eligibility criteria at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/29/2026-08300/rural-hospital-provider-assistance-program.
HRSA estimates awarding $24,750,000 to 167 eligible hospitals in the amount of approximately $148,000 per hospital assuming all eligible hospitals apply. Hospitals must apply for grant funding in order to receive payment. The final per hospital award amount will be adjusted based on the total number of eligible hospitals that apply.
Since registration can take several weeks, eligible hospitals are strongly encouraged to begin the process of registering with SAM.gov and Grants.gov as soon as possible to avoid delays and ensure timely submission. For guidance, visit https://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants and https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants.
Questions should be submitted to mailto:RuralHospitals@hrsa.gov.
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