New Hampshire Awaits Federal Rescoring of Rural Health Funds
New Hampshire's GO-NORTH office, which oversees roughly $205 million in annual federal rural health funding, says it is "cautiously optimistic" ahead of CMS's annual rescoring of state performance this September and October. Continued funding depends on CMS's assessment of program authority, satisfactory performance, and compliance with award terms and reporting requirements. Director Donnalee Lozeau points to the state's early "fully obligated" status in June and a supportive May CMS site visit as positive signs, crediting a five-"hub" distribution model covering primary care, behavioral health, capital infrastructure, and workforce development. The program, created by Congress to offset Medicaid and other public health cuts, runs through 2030, and New Hampshire hopes to secure the same funding level each year.