WASHINGTON — Alabama, along with other states, can now apply to receive a chunk of the $50 billion allocated to address rural health needs included in the July GOP-led budget law.

Each state will receive at least $500 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program over five years if it submits an approved application. It starts next year.

Half of the $50 billion will be distributed evenly among states that apply and the other half will be allocated based on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ discretion.

The CMS launched the program Monday. States will have less than two months to apply before the Nov. 5 deadline.

“We believe we can use this as an opportunity to pivot from the crisis that we are currently living in to the comeback that America expects from us,” Dr. M

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