Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program

About this grant

The Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program provides direct financial assistance to eligible small hospitals to help stabilize operations and sustain access to care in financially vulnerable communities.  Eligible hospitals must have no more than 50 inpatient beds and a Medicare wage index value below 0.90.  The program is designed to provide targeted support to hospitals facing structural payment disadvantages, with the goal of maintaining essential services and preventing avoidabl Grant Number: HRSA-26-105. Expected awards: 214.

Eligibility requirements

All of the following criteria must be met:

• Eligible hospitals must meet the following criteria: 1) have no more than 50 inpatient beds, 2) have an established wage index value of less than 0.90, and 3) defined as rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

What the funding covers

• Award Range: $115K to $233K
• Expected Number of Awards: 214
• Total Program Funding: $24.8M

How to apply

1. 1Check eligibility: Confirm your organization type (e.g., nonprofit, state government), project alignment, and deadlines from the opportunity synopsis.
2. 2Register: Create a Grants.gov account via Login.gov, complete SAM.gov and UEI registration, and authorize organization representatives (takes 2-4 weeks).
3. 3Prepare application: Select "Apply" to open Workspace, download forms (e.g., SF-424), complete offline/online with validation checks, and upload supporting docs like budgets and narratives.
4. 4Submit and track: Check package for errors, sign/submit via Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and monitor status with your tracking number
5. 5Applications must be submitted through grants.gov
6. 6Grant Number: HRSA-26-105
7. 7Posted: 2026-03-16

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