AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2, 2026 — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® (AANP) greeted the announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) of state awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative aimed at enhancing access to care in rural communities. The awards emphasize the crucial role of workforce policy in increasing access to high-quality healthcare for rural patients.

“These CMS awards and state plans acknowledge what nurse practitioners have long understood: that improving access to care enhances lives,” stated AANP President Valerie Fuller, PhD, DNP. “AANP anticipates collaborating with states as they execute their RHTP awards and progress state-level policies that fortify the healthcare workforce and enhance health outcomes in rural communities.”

CMS’s scoring approach emphasized the influence that state licensure policy has on access to care by awarding extra funds to states with full practice authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners (NPs). States with FPA report favorable benefits for rural healthcare access. For instance, Arizona’s NP workforce doubled in the years after FPA enactment, with the state reporting a 70 percent growth in rural areas. The 27 states with FPA were eligible for additional funding in this round of the RHTP awards, and other states have expressed interest in removing practice barriers in the future.

“Full practice authority is a cost-free and immediate means for states to expand their healthcare workforce, improve access to care, and enhance health outcomes while reducing healthcare costs,” said Fuller. “As states seek to maximize their Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and increase provider recruitment and retention, updating licensure laws is among the most immediate and effective tools at their disposal.”

AANP remains dedicated to promoting workforce policies that ensure rural communities have access to the high-quality healthcare they require.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® is the largest professional membership organization representing the 461,000 licensed nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner^®, AANP advances health policy and promotes excellence in practice, education, and research to support high-quality, patient-centered care. Learn more at.

SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)