Trump administration doles out $16.8M for healthcare tech in rural Kansas 

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaks at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., in December. CMS this week released guidance on how states should implement new Medicaid work requirements. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

TOPEKA — Rural healthcare in Kansas will benefit from nearly $17 million in federal dollars  to expand technology such as telehealth, artificial intelligence and diagnostic tools, and expedite transportation to specialty healthcare.

The funds are a chunk of the $80 million in rural grants that have been announced for Kansas. Most of the $17 million will go toward technology modernizations, and $780,000 will fund regional transportation coordination efforts to help rural patients receive care quicker. 

Federal leaders said the funds, which will be distributed across 14 organizations, will help strengthen rural healthcare in Kansas.

“This new round of investment in Kansas will help rural providers put tools like artificial intelligence, remote patient monitoring and advanced diagnostic technology to work for their patients, while strengthening transportation so people can get to the specialized care they need,” said U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kansas.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he worked with colleagues last year to establish the program and ensure “rural providers in Kansas are equipped with the resources and support needed to address the unique challenges they face.”

Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the funds are part of a historic commitment to rural areas by President Donald Trump. They are part of the $50 billion, five-year Rural Health Transformation Program, which was enacted when Republicans passed tax cuts within the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025. The same bill also included $930 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years.

“This is what rural health transformation should look like: federal investment that is putting patients first, driving lasting improvements and expanding healthcare for the hardworking Americans who call these communities home,” Oz said.