AAPA Statement on Rural Health Transformation Program Awards Announcement

AAPA Statement on Rural Health Transformation Program Awards Announcement

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (December 29, 2025) - The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) released the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) announcement of state awards under the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

CMS incorporated AAPA's state practice environment rating scale into its scoring methodology, making modernized physician associate (PA) practice laws a determining factor in the amount awarded to states.

"Outdated healthcare laws are a major barrier to access to care, particularly in rural America where physician shortages are rising and patients depend on PAs," said AAPA Chief of Advocacy and Public Affairs Chantell Taylor.

"Healthcare in these underserved regions cannot fully improve while there are laws on the books that restrain PAs; that is why the RHTP's incentives to modernize practice laws and advance other workforce reforms are essential to meeting today's access and workforce challenges.

"What's especially important about this program is that practice modernization policies -such as updates to practice laws and adoption of licensure portability through the PA Licensure Compact - are among the most actionable and variable elements states can control. While factors like a state's rural population or number of hospitals are largely fixed, workforce policy reforms are levers states can meaningfully address within the five-year life of this program to improve access and strengthen care delivery.

"Because every state will receive funding through the program, the door remains open for states to continue making progress on these policy priorities over the next several years. We already know that at least 16 states have indicated a desire to update scope of practice laws to enable providers to practice at the top of their license and/or advance the PA Licensure Compact, signaling strong momentum toward these reforms.

"The program sends a clear signal from the federal government: Modernizing practice laws for PAs and other essential healthcare providers is foundational to successful rural health transformation. AAPA encourages states to seize this opportunity to act on long-standing policy priorities that will strengthen healthcare delivery now and position them to be even more competitive in future funding cycles."

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Media Contact: Jenni Roberson, 703.380.2764

About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.