Biden-Harris Administration Provides $90 Million to Improve Health Care in Rural Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration announced today that it is providing nearly $90 million to help rural communities combat opioid use disorders (OUD) and other forms of substance use disorders (SUD), and to improve access to maternal and obstetrics care. This funding is being distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

"These investments address a wide range of critical issues the Biden-Harris Administration is focused on to improve health care in rural communities across the country," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "Expanding access to substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services, and improving the daily lives of mothers and children across America are priorities for the Department."

HRSA has invested nearly $384 million, including today's announcements, in community-based grants and technical assistance over the last three years through the Rural Community Opioid Response Program initiative to promote the establishment and expansion of SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural communities in 47 states and 2 territories. This includes supporting 30 existing grants focused on neonatal abstinence syndrome.

"At a time when overdose deaths are rising across America and improvements to maternal health are urgently needed, HRSA is working on multiple fronts to address the health care needs of rural Americans," said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. "Today's announcement furthers HRSA's commitment to improve the wellbeing of people in rural communities."

HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is making these awards through four key programs:

• Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Implementation: $78 million is being provided to 78 organizations across 35 states. These awards aim to reduce the morbidity and mortality of SUD/OUD in high-risk rural communities by strengthening and expanding SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
• Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Psychostimulant Support Program: $7.5 million was awarded to 15 rural consortia across 13 states. These awards aim to strengthen and expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals misusing psychostimulants so they can access treatment and move towards recovery.
• Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program: $2.9 million was awarded to three recipients to test models to address unmet maternal and obstetric needs for their rural target populations. This effort will improve access to services for rural mothers and their children through better care coordination, use of telehealth and increased access to prenatal and other related services.
• Rural Northern Border Region Planning Program: $760,000 was awarded to four community-based organizations to plan and identify key rural health issues in the rural Northern Border Regional Commission service areas.

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