Several key rural health programs at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) need to be authorized in statute or are up for reauthorization.
“Authorization” and “reauthorization” mean that programs need language in a statute in order to be established or continued. Generally, Congress must pass legislation to establish or continue programs, agencies, offices, or projects, and then Congress can fund these programs through the appropriations process. Find more information on authorizations here.
The following programs are of utmost importance for Congress to reauthorize in 2026 to in order to support rural communities’ access to care and sustain the rural health infrastructure, workforce, and services:
- Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Grant Program
- S. 3250/H.R. 6804, the Rural Hospital Flexibility Act, reauthorizes the Flex program to help small rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) work on quality, financial, and performance improvement activities, as well as enhance emergency medical service (EMS) and access to care.
- S. 2301/H.R. 2493, the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act, reauthorizes Outreach programs which expire at the end of 2025. The umbrella of Outreach programs improve rural health through community-driven initiatives focused on quality improvement, health care access, and coordination of care to foster sustainable solutions for chronic disease prevention and management in rural areas.
- State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) Program
- H.R. 7956, the State Offices of Rural Health Program Reauthorization Act. The SORH Program assists states in strengthening rural health care delivery systems by maintaining a focal point for rural health in each state. SORHs small rural communities leverage state and federal resources to develop long-term solutions to rural health problems and enables states to expand workforce development, primary care access, and continuing education statewide.
The following need an initial authorization in statute:
- Rural Residency Planning and Development Program (RRPD)
- H.R. 6468, the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act, reauthorizes the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program. RRPD helps to expand the number of rural residency training programs in family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, and obstetrics by providing startup funding to eligible entities. The pilot began in 2019 and such since shown strong outcomes by creating 54 new, accredited rural residency programs and 683 resident positions.
- Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)
- H.R. 6407, the RCORP Authorization Act, authorizes RCORP to reduce the factors that result in substance use disorder and opioid use disorder morbidity and mortality in high-need rural communities through rural-specific prevention, treatment, recovery, and workforce development efforts.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Rural Public Health (ORH)