Florida RHTP Regional Collaborative Grants — Pre-Release Framework

Florida received $209,938,195 in Year 1 RHTP funding and is implementing through the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Florida's stated distribution model is a regional collaborative approach — multi-organization partnerships of rural providers submitting joint applications with executed MOUs — rather than single-organization grants or a state-managed hub structure. Two parallel procurement tracks are expected: a competitive Request for Application (RFA) for regional provider collaboratives and vendor Request for Qualifications (RFQs) for technology and service vendors.

AHCA held a public informational webinar on February 18, 2026, and has published 15 initiative categories on its program page. No formal solicitation document has been released as of March 22, 2026. The RFA is gated on CMS approving Florida's detailed Year 1 budget — a step not yet completed.

The regional collaborative structure creates both an access challenge and an opportunity: smaller organizations cannot apply alone, but organizations that anchor a well-formed collaborative before the RFA drops will have a significant advantage. MOU execution takes time — AHCA has indicated executed MOUs are required with the application. Florida's rural population is concentrated in the Panhandle, Big Bend, and south-central agricultural communities — the RFA may define geographic regions or prioritize specific areas.

Florida's 15 initiative categories span rural and satellite clinics, mobile health units, community paramedicine, behavioral health telehealth, tele-specialties, tele-ICU, telestroke, clinical training, value-based purchasing, remote patient monitoring, health and lifestyle programs, retail clinic services, diagnostic technology, HIE/ENS onboarding, and D-SNP support. Regional collaborative applications may target one or more categories; integrated multi-category applications are likely stronger.