AXIOS December 29, 2025
The Trump administration on Monday announced the first awards to states from the $50 billion rural health fund in this summer’s Republican megabill — including a big award for Alaska, whose lawmakers’ support was critical to the bill’s passage.
Why it matters: The awards highlighted which states are winners and losers, as officials brace for Medicaid cuts also included in the GOP bill.
Driving the news: The average award for 2026, the first of five years, is $200 million.
- Alaska, a rural state with unique challenges for health care access, got the second most funding after Texas, receiving $272 million.
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted for the bill after being the focus of hours of negotiations with GOP leaders. ...
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