Idaho Rural Health Care Access Program (RHCAP)

Idaho Rural Health Care Access Program (RHCAP) is sponsored by Idaho Community Health Center Association. The RHCAP offers funding to support community development, telehealth, and recruitment efforts in Health Professional Shortage Areas within Idaho. The program aims to improve access to primary medical and dental healthcare in rural communities.

Loan Repayment and Grants | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Rural Health and Underserved Areas Improving access to healthcare Rural Health and Underserved Areas Recruitment and Retention Loan Repayment and Grants Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Designation Resources Loan Repayment and Grants State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) SLRP is a multi-discipline, state-based loan repayment program for nurses, clinicians, and physicians working in federally-designated Health Professional Shortage Areas.

Loan repayment is provided through a $1 to $1 match from the federal grant and healthcare site in which the clinician is employed. Participating sites must implement a sliding fee scale for low-income and uninsured patients and accept Medicare and Medicaid. A two-year, full-time service obligation is required for participants.

Recipients may receive loan repayment awards up to $50,000 for oral and behavioral health disciplines and $75,000 for primary care disciplines for a two-year service obligation. Awards may vary due to the amount of money the healthcare site can match, discipline, the competitiveness of the application cycle, and the amount of eligible debt of the clinician. Sites must submit annual reports during the funding period.

Participants currently receiving loan repayment and fulfilling a service obligation are not eligible. For more information, please see below the Frequently Asked Questions. SLRP application and guidance are anticipated to be released September 2026.

To receive updates via the notification list or ask questions, please email alex. prado@dhw. idaho.

gov . Frequently Asked Questions 2023 State Loan Repayment Program Awardees List Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Program (RNLRP) The Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Program (RNLRP) is a state-based program for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses practicing direct care in rural and underserved areas in Idaho. All eligible nurses must be located in an eligible area within Idaho.

These nurses may be eligible to apply for funds to pay for qualified nursing education debts. Qualified nurses may receive up to $25,000 over three years, and awards will not exceed the qualified nursing education debt incurred by the recipient. RNLRP award decisions are made by the Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Review Board and applicants will be notified of their award status.

The SFY27 Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Program application cycle opens on October 1, 2026. Please review the Guidance and the Eligible Areas Map in their entirety to ensure you meet all eligibility requirements before beginning the application. Applications will be reviewed, scored, and ranked by the RNLRP Board.

Applicants will be notified of their award status no later than February 15, 2027. Idaho Statute 39. 2501 - 39.

2513 Frequently Asked Questions SFY2027 RNLRP Eligible Areas Map Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP) RPIP offers an opportunity for medical education debt repayment for rural physicians practicing primary care medicine in Idaho federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). The program is focused on physicians providing primary care medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

If there is a demonstrated high level of need in an eligible area as determined by the board, it may also include obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry, general surgery, and emergency medicine. RPIP is funded by a state appropriation and fees assessed to physicians attending the University of Washington and University of Utah medical schools in state-supported seats.

Physicians may receive a maximum of $100,000 over a four-year period toward their academic debt. Preference is given to eligible physicians who paid into the RPIP fund. However, funding is not limited to these candidates.

RPIP award decisions are made by the Health Care Access and Physician Incentive Grant Review Board. The application cycle begins on July 1 of each year and ends on August 30 of that same year.

RPIP & RHCAP Grant Review Board Information Rural Health Care Access Program (RHCAP) The Rural Health Care Access Program (RHCAP) exists to assist rural and underserved Idaho communities in improving access to primary medical and dental health care. RHCAP awards are limited to a maximum of $35,000 for a one-year funding cycle.

The application period is from July 1 - August 30 every year and for each 8-month project period, projects must be initiated and completed between November 1 and June 30. Proposed projects are required to address needs in areas designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUA).

Applicants may submit grant proposals that improve access to primary care and/or dental health services in any of the three assistance categories (Idaho Code 39-5906): community development, telehealth, and other (such as recruitment and retention). Statute 39. 5901 - 39.

5913 FY27 RHCAP Primary Care Eligible Areas FY27 RHCAP Dental Health Eligible Areas FY27 RHCAP Grant Guidance Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program The Bureau of Healthcare Access develops, evaluates, and administers this federal program that provides states the opportunity to strengthen rural health care through a holistic approach.

The Idaho Flex Program offers annual subgrant opportunities up to $20,000 to critical access hospitals in Idaho and rural EMS in the flex grant year (September - August).

Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) In-depth quality improvement assessment and action plan In-depth financial and operational assessment and action plan Chargemaster or revenue cycle analysis Community Health EMS (CHEMS) Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant (SHIP) Program The Bureau of Healthcare Access administers this federally funded grant program to provide assistance to qualifying hospitals with 49 beds or fewer.

The Idaho SHIP program offers annual subgrant opportunities up to $11,000 to Idaho critical access hospitals in the SHIP grant year (June - May).

Value-based purchasing (improving data collection activities to facilitate reporting to Hospital Compare Accountable care organizations or shared savings (improving quality outcomes; activities that support quality improvement) Payment bundling and prospective payment systems (PPS) (building accountability across the continuum of care and maintaining accurate PPS billing and coding) Bureau of Healthcare Access 450 W State Street - 4th Floor RuralHealth@dhw.

idaho. gov Page last updated: 8-6-2026