June 15, 2026

Rural Health Transformation Funding Opportunities Posted

The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is a federally-funded initiative designed to improve healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities across the United States. The program allocates $50 billion over five fiscal years, with $10 billion available each year, distributed to states that submit approved transformation plans to CMS.

Idaho's application to RHTP focused on five initiatives: 1) Improving rural access to care through technology; 2) Ensuring accessible, quality care through innovative models; 3) Sustaining rural workforce with training, recruitment, and retention; 4) Implementing population-specific, evidence-based projects to Make America Healthy Again; and 5) Investing in rural health infrastructure and partnerships.

The federal government announced in December a $186 million per year investment in Idaho over the next five years, totaling up to $930 million. These RHTP funds will be distributed through Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) to healthcare facilities, provider organizations, educational institutions, EMS agencies and community partners through a formal subaward grant process. The first of these subaward applications are now live and active on the DHW Rural Health Transformation Program webpage. Specific information about open grant opportunities and an overview of all of the identified opportunities are now available.

IMA has created a handy tool to assist our members in quickly accessing information about the grant opportunities most likely to apply to them, with links to application materials. There are currently two grant applications open of interest to physicians, both with deadlines of July 10:

• $2.4M Award to create a Perinatal Quality Collaborative - such collaboratives work to ensure that all rural hospitals benefit from evidence-based practices to reduce severe maternal morbidity, prevent preterm births, and improve newborn outcomes.

• $1.2M Award for Maternal and Child Health Obstetrics Readiness grant will help rural provider entities enhance obstetric readiness for birthing and non-birthing facilities, launch a quality improvement initiative, and develop an Idaho-specific Obstetric Emergency Readiness Resource Kit.

A webinar will be conducted by DHW on Monday, June 22 at noon for all eligible organizations to ask questions about these funding opportunities. To participate, email IdahoRHTP@dhw.idaho.gov no later than Thursday, June 18 at 4:00 pm (MDT).

Medical Groups Cheer Court Decision to Halt $100K H-1B Visa Fee

Organizations have been advocating for a healthcare exemption since the fee was announced

By Rachael Robertson, MedPage Today

June 10, 2026

Medical groups are hailing a federal judge's decision to strike down the Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee, which would have limited the country's healthcare workforce.

"At a time when communities across the country face physician shortages and growing barriers to care, we should be removing obstacles -- not creating new ones -- to attract talented physicians and other highly skilled professionals," AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said in a statement. "International medical graduates play a vital role in caring for patients, particularly in underserved and rural areas."

H-1B visas allow employers in the U.S. to hire skilled workers from outside the country for positions difficult to find American workers to fill. President Trump issued an executive order last September that all new H-1B visa applicants would be charged a $100,00 fee, which the administration claimed was a way of preventing foreigners from taking jobs from Americans. Before that, most H-1B visa applications already cost thousands of dollars.

This week, U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston sided with 20 states and struck down the visa policy, concluding that the executive branch exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations. States argued the policy would negatively impact their ability to hire for key roles, including medical workers.

A White House spokesperson said the administration "is confident this order will be reversed on appeal." READ MORE

Registration Now Open for 2026 IMA House of Delegates Meeting

Participation in this year's House of Delegates (HOD) meeting will be offered in-person and virtually to make it easier for IMA members to engage in our policy-making process! Active physician members who wish to participate in the HOD must register as a delegate.

Delegates attending in-person or virtually may present resolutions, provide testimony, submit amendments and vote on IMA policy during the meeting.

Please note that delegates must attend all or a majority of the Friday HOD meeting in order to qualify to vote at the Sunday HOD meeting. Be sure to plan on attending all sessions of the meeting if you would like to vote on Sunday.

To learn more about HOD and to register, visit our website.

Adverse Event Disclosure; Communication and Early Resolution Programs

Join us on June 17th for this webinar from the IMA Education Series

Michael Anderson, CPHRM of MIEC Patient Safety & Risk Management will be speaking on the topic of physician wellness and support during and beyond malpractice claims.

As part of the discussion, he will review novel approaches to preventing malpractice claims, including early communication and resolution, and demonstrate how this approach can reduce both physician stress and liability while supporting patients who experience a treatment-related injury.

Presenter: Michael Anderson, CPHRM, MIEC

Audience: Clinicians, practice administrators, and staff involved in resolving adverse patient events

AAPC-Approved for one hour of CEU credit

Stay Ahead for 2027: Unlock the Latest AMA Coding Solutions

Did you know the AMA's 2027 coding resource information is now available? Don't miss the essential resources that help you adapt for the CPT 2027 updates and succeed in the ever-evolving healthcare environment. Act now to receive your AMA-published and IMA-discounted coding products. Order your CPT®, HCPCS, ICD-10, Code of Medical Ethics and other resource materials today!

The 2027 AMA & Optum Coding Book Order Form with the most popular choices is available HERE for your convenience.

Contact Rebecca at the IMA with any questions.

CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!

IAFP Virtual Rural Workforce Forum: June 25th at 5:00 pm.PT/6:00 pm MT. In light of major solicitations under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), this forum will focus on navigating the $185 million federal opportunity to modernize Idaho's rural health infrastructure, including a deep dive into the first two active RFPs for rural maternal health, and discus how rural family physicians, Critical Access Hospitals, and non-birthing facilities can partner to secure and implement these awards. Pre-Registration Required