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- areas of the state, face challenges that result in reduced access to care. These challenges include hi
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- areas of the state, face challenges that result in reduced access to care. These challenges include high rates of uninsured patients, low and unpredictable patient volumes, dental workforce shortages, and limited capital resources to adopt innovative technologies. This funding opportunity seeks to address these challenges through increased access to dental technological innovations, which improve dental services in rural Wisconsin by increasing the speed of appointments while maintaining quality of care. This funding will allow dental practices to purchase technologies to deliver high-quality and efficient services. Applicants may apply to multiple Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding opportunities for which their organizations are eligible. Key Dates • Application release: , 2026 • Application submission due: July 27, 2026 • Application questions due: June 26, 2026. Responses will be posted within one week. Please send questions to: dhsruralhealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov, and place Dental Application Questions in the Subject line. • Estimated date for award notification: September 2026 Estimated funding: The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will award up to $10 million for this funding opportunity, *pending CMS approval, as estimated in the table below. Funding Opportunity Award period Total funding available* Rural Dental Efficiency 11/1/2026 – 9/30/2028 $10,000,000 and Access Grants Number of available awards: The number of available awards will be determined by the variety and scope of projects submitted. Awards will be made to ensure distribution across regions and counties, with an emphasis on rural communities. Award amount: Award amounts will vary based on the total number of applications received and the scope of the projects submitted. DHS will negotiate the terms of the award, including the award amount, with selected applicants prior to entering into a contract. Application submission : All applications must be submitted online through the Investing in Dental Technology Application form. Background The Wisconsin Rural Health Transformation Program is focused on improving healthcare access and health outcomes in rural communities across Wisconsin. This funding opportunity is part of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a federal funding opportunity provided to states through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Wisconsin Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 2 (06/2026) - June 15 - 11:59 p.m - Department of Health Services (DHS) received a first-year award from CMS for $203,670,005.21 to invest in rural capacity, sustainability, and innovation. The program aims to improve access to care through three initiatives: strengthening the healthcare workforce, enhancing technology innovation, and cultivating coordinated care partnerships. Through collaboration among healthcare providers, public health agencies, and community-based organizations, the program seeks to improve health and well-being in rural communities. Purpose Through this funding opportunity, DHS aims to address these challenges by subsidizing the purchase of dental technologies to make care more available to people in rural Wisconsin. These technologies can reduce appointment times, increase patient service volumes, improve patient comfort, and maximize the existing dental workforce. Funding will support the provider's adoption of eligible dental technologies that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. The goals of the Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Program are to: • Increase access to dental care, particularly for underserved populations in rural and semi- rural Wisconsin who are lower income, uninsured, have Medicaid dental coverage, and/or who otherwise have difficulty seeing a dental provider. • Strengthen the sustainability of dental practices in rural and semi-rural areas. • Improve oral health outcomes for rural residents. Program Requirements Dental providers applying for this funding opportunity must meet all the following requirements: • Provide services that benefit people living in rural and semi-rural areas of Wisconsin, outside of metropolitan hubs. See Addendum Exhibit 1 for a definition of rural counties. • Use grant funds to purchase eligible dental technologies. All proposed technologies must be clearly linked to increased efficiency, expanded access, and improved service delivery. • Describe clear strategies to provide care to patients with Medicaid coverage or others with limited resources to access dental care (e.g. low-income and uninsured). • As described in the Application Questions section, applicants must clearly describe how grant funds will be used, what technologies will be purchased, and how the grant will meet community needs. Reporting Requirements: Evaluation A combination of quantitative and qualitative data will be required quarterly and annually for state and federal evaluation purposes. Providers will be asked to report on the number and percentage of patients served with limited resources to access dental care (e.g. low-income and uninsured), and who have Medicaid coverage at baseline and annually throughout the life of the grant. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 3 (06/2026)
- Independent research and development, including associated indirect costs in accordance with 2 CFR 300.477 Construction or building expansion, purchasing or significant retrofitting of buildings, cosmetic upgrades, or any other direct costs that materially increase the value or useful life of the capital Meals, unless in limited circumstances such as subjects and patients under study, if specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, or as part of a per diem in conjunction with allowable travel Projects outside of Wisconsin Administrative Cost Limits and Determinations • No more than 8% of the award amount may be used for administrative expenses. This is based on CMS requirements: a 10% cap is applied to the cumulative administrative costs for the entire program, including those incurred by both the state and any subrecipients. • Personnel costs associated with administering RHTP grant activities may be considered administrative costs. In contrast, if staff are directly carrying out program initiatives, the cost may be considered programmatic. • Administrative costs support the day-to-day operations and general grant oversight. These costs generally include indirect costs, audit expenses, and salary and fringe benefits for personnel whose primary responsibilities involve managing, tracking, and overseeing the grant. • More information is available in Addendum Exhibit 3: Budget Instructions. Allowable Costs for Construction and Renovations • Under federal grant regulations, alteration and renovation must be necessary and reasonable for performance of the award and directly related to program objectives. Any renovation or alteration costs will require prior approval from CMS. RHTP staff will submit required renovations requests to CMS for approval on behalf of grantees prior to purchase or start of work. Renovations may not proceed until written approval is received. Additionally, no more than 20% of the total award can be spent on minor alterations and renovations. • See Exhibit 2: Federal Compliance Requirements for more information. Application Submission The application can be accessed through the Investing in Dental Technology Application form and must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on , 2026. Only applications submitted through this link will be considered. Applications must include: • Responses to the statements in the Application Questions section. Any information beyond the page limit will not be read, reviewed, or scored. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 6 (06/2026) - July 27 - 11:59 p.m - ο A timeline and strategy for purchasing the technology, training staff on use, and integrating into routine clinic operations. ο How your organization will maintain and sustain the technology (such as through staffing, budgeting, and long-term integration into routine clinic operations). ο How your organization will measure and report on outcomes. Potential outcomes include staff confidence and satisfaction with technology integration, reductions in wait times for appointments, appointment length, or number of rural and total patients served. • A description of how this technology will further the program’s goals to: ο Increase access to dental services, particularly for Medicaid members other low- income or underserved rural residents (including the uninsured) in more rural areas. ο Strengthen the sustainability of dental practices in more rural areas. ο Improve oral health outcomes for rural residents. Section 2: Capacity and Experience (Maximum 500 words) Applicants must demonstrate organizational capacity to implement and sustain the proposed technology. Responses must include: • Description of staff structure and clinic operations, specifically related to program goals • Prior experience with purchasing and managing clinical technologies • Description of communities served and unmet dental needs in those communities • Prior experience with serving rural residents Section 3: Commitment to expand access to dental services (Maximum 500 words) Applicants must describe services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries and other low-income or underserved (including the uninsured) rural residents. We are looking for evidence of current systems or plans to ensure access to affordable dental care for rural populations who have limited resources to access dental care. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to enroll as Medicaid providers and to provide sustained services for Medicaid members. Responses must include all of the following: • Current number of o Medicaid members. o Other low-income or underserved rural residents served per month. • Current total number of patients served per month. • Current monthly percentage of patients that are: o Medicaid members. o Other low-income or underserved rural residents. • Current and/or proposed sliding scale fee structure or other strategies to serve patients without dental insurance and with limited resources • Current or proposed plans to prioritize access for: o Medicaid members. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 8 (06/2026)
- • Proposed budget and justification • Letters of support from each partner with an active role in the project The budget, justification, and letters of support do not count toward the narrative response word limit. Organizations may request technical assistance for preparing their applications from the University of Wisconsin-Population Health Institute, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, and Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Technical assistance can be requested for describing local health needs using community data, accessing information to quantify the local health context, project evaluation planning, and/or developing performance measures. These partners have no input on funding decisions. To learn more, send a request to RHTP- evaluation@wisc.edu. Applicants should reach out directly to DHS at DHSRuralHealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov for questions regarding technical difficulties with the application submission process. Please note that questions about the funding opportunity, including eligibility requirements, budgets, allowable and unallowable expenses, must be submitted by , 2026, and will be answered through published FAQs. Application Questions CONTACT AND SUMMARY 1. Name and address of lead organization applying 2. Contact information for the primary point of contact regarding this application • First Name • Last Name • Email 3. Counties or Tribal Nations where services will be provided for this project 4. Provide a brief executive summary of your project (three to four sentences or less than 100 words). This section is not scored. NARRATIVE RESPONSE Section 1: Program Design (Maximum 1,000 words) Describe how grant funds will be used to improve efficiency and expand access to dental services in rural and semi-rural communities. Responses must include: • A list of clinics, including addresses, where technologies will be implemented. ο Clinics located in rural counties will receive a higher score than clinics located in semi-rural counties that serve a portion of rural residents. See Addendum Exhibit 1. • An implementation plan that details: ο A list of the technology (or technologies) to be purchased. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 7 (06/2026) - June 26 - 11:59 p.m - ο A timeline and strategy for purchasing the technology, training staff on use, and integrating into routine clinic operations. ο How your organization will maintain and sustain the technology (such as through staffing, budgeting, and long-term integration into routine clinic operations). ο How your organization will measure and report on outcomes. Potential outcomes include staff confidence and satisfaction with technology integration, reductions in wait times for appointments, appointment length, or number of rural and total patients served. • A description of how this technology will further the program’s goals to: ο Increase access to dental services, particularly for Medicaid members other low- income or underserved rural residents (including the uninsured) in more rural areas. ο Strengthen the sustainability of dental practices in more rural areas. ο Improve oral health outcomes for rural residents. Section 2: Capacity and Experience (Maximum 500 words) Applicants must demonstrate organizational capacity to implement and sustain the proposed technology. Responses must include: • Description of staff structure and clinic operations, specifically related to program goals • Prior experience with purchasing and managing clinical technologies • Description of communities served and unmet dental needs in those communities • Prior experience with serving rural residents Section 3: Commitment to expand access to dental services (Maximum 500 words) Applicants must describe services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries and other low-income or underserved (including the uninsured) rural residents. We are looking for evidence of current systems or plans to ensure access to affordable dental care for rural populations who have limited resources to access dental care. Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to enroll as Medicaid providers and to provide sustained services for Medicaid members. Responses must include all of the following: • Current number of o Medicaid members. o Other low-income or underserved rural residents served per month. • Current total number of patients served per month. • Current monthly percentage of patients that are: o Medicaid members. o Other low-income or underserved rural residents. • Current and/or proposed sliding scale fee structure or other strategies to serve patients without dental insurance and with limited resources • Current or proposed plans to prioritize access for: o Medicaid members. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 8 (06/2026)
- All on-time proposals that include all required documentation will be eligible for review. A committee of subject matter experts and knowledgeable stakeholders will review proposals and make recommendations for funding applications. DHS will not release the names of members of the review committee. In addition to rubric scoring, contextual factors such as past performance and spending history, geographic coverage and program reach, and project feasibility will be considered when making final award decisions, if applicable. Submission Deadline Questions are due by 11:59 p.m. on , 2026. DHS will post responses within 72 hours. Responses must be submitted through the online application form by 11:59 p.m. on July 27, 2026. Following the deadline, DHS will review responses and announce awards to selected recipients. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 10 (06/2026) - June 26 - Addendum Exhibit 1: Target Areas of Wisconsin Wisconsin applied to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Rural Health Transformation Program from 2026 to 2030. The program will improve rural health in rural and semi-rural counties, as defined by the 2020 U.S. Census. Rural Counties Semi-Rural Counties Adams, Ashland, Barron, Buffalo, Bayfield, Brown, Calumet, Chippewa, Burnett, Clark, Crawford, Florence, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Forest, Green Lake, Iron, Jackson, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Iowa, Juneau, Lafayette, Langlade, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lincoln, Marinette, Marquette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Oconto, Outagamie, Menominee, Monroe, Oneida, Ozaukee, Pierce, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Pepin, Polk, Portage, Price, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Richland, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Vilas, Washburn, Wood Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 11 (06/2026)
- b. Funding for provider payments, as described in Category B of the program requirements and expectations use of funds section, cannot exceed 15% of the total funding CMS awards states in a given budget period. c. Funding cannot be used for initiatives that fund certain cosmetic and experimental procedures that fall within the definition of a specified sex-trait modification procedure at 45 CFR 156.400 because that is beyond the scope of this program. 16. No more than 5% of total funding CMS awards to a state in a given budget period can support funding the replacement of an EMR system if a previous HITECH certified EMR system is already in place as of , 2025. a. Upgrades, enhancements, and added modules, interfaces, or functionality to existing EMR/EHR systems are allowable uses of funds and are not subject to the 5% limitation. 17. Funding towards initiatives similar to the Rural Tech Catalyst Fund Initiative (as described in the appendix) cannot exceed the lesser of (1) 10% of total funding awarded to a state in a given budget period or (2) $20M of total funding awarded to a state in a given budget period, and funding is subject to all restrictions and requirements described in the example initiative. 18. Clinician salaries or wage supports for facilities that subject clinicians to non-compete contractual limitations. 19. None of the funding shall be used by the state for an expenditure that is attributable to an intergovernmental transfer, certified public expenditure, or any other expenditure to finance the non-federal share of expenditures required under any provision of law. 20. SSA Section 2105(c) , paragraphs (1), (7), and (9) apply as funding limitations. These limitations are related to general limitations, limitations on payment for abortions, and citizenship documentation requirements for payments made with respect to an individual. 21. States must focus funding on the following categories as described in Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21: a. Prevention and chronic disease: Promoting evidence-based, measurable interventions to improve prevention and chronic disease management. b. Provider payments: Providing payments to healthcare providers for the provision of healthcare items or services, subject to restrictions described in the funding policies and limitations. c. Consumer tech solutions: Promoting consumer-facing, technology-driven solutions for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 14 (06/2026) - September 1 - d. Training and technical assistance: Providing training and technical assistance for the development and adoption of technology-enabled solutions that improve care delivery in rural hospitals, including remote monitoring, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies. e. Workforce: Recruiting and retaining clinical workforce talent to rural areas, with commitments to serve rural communities for at least 5 years. f. IT advances: Providing technical assistance, software, and hardware for significant information technology advances designed to improve efficiency, enhance cybersecurity capability development, and improve patient health outcomes. g. Appropriate care availability: Assisting rural communities to right-size their healthcare delivery systems by identifying needed preventative, ambulatory, pre- hospital, emergency, acute inpatient care, outpatient care, and post-acute care service lines. h. Behavioral health: Supporting access to opioid use disorder treatment services, other substance use disorder treatment services, and mental health services. i. Innovative care: Developing projects that support innovative models of care that include value-based care arrangements and alternative payment models, as appropriate. 22. Additional uses designed to promote sustainable access to high quality rural healthcare services, as determined by the CMS Administrator, including: a. Capital expenditures and infrastructure: Investing in existing rural healthcare facility buildings and infrastructure, including minor building alterations or renovations and equipment upgrades to ensure long-term overhead and upkeep costs are commensurate with patient volume, subject to restrictions in the funding policies and limitations. b. Fostering collaboration: Initiating, fostering, and strengthening local and regional strategic partnerships between rural facilities and other healthcare providers to promote quality improvement, improve financial stability of rural facilities, and expand access to care. 23. Specific examples provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity include: a. States can offer certain incentives to attract clinical workforce to work in rural areas provided the recipient of the incentive commits to working in rural areas for a minimum of 5 years. Funding for local housing for students or trainees in rural areas may be allowable if included as part of an approved initiative within the scope of the RHT Program. Note that payment for student or trainee housing is limited to short-term (less than 6 months) housing for rotations. Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 15 (06/2026)
- Budget Description and Justification For each line-item, applicants must provide sufficient detail to explain: • What the expense is. • How the cost was calculated. • Why the expense is necessary for the project. • How the expense supports project goals and activities. Examples include: • Position title, percentage of time devoted to the project, and fringe percentage for personnel costs. • Number of units and unit cost for supplies and materials. • Number of trips, travelers, mileage, lodging, or registration costs for travel. • Scope of work and estimated cost for consultants or contractors. • Budget descriptions should provide enough information for reviewers to understand and evaluate the proposed expenditure without requiring additional clarification. Administrative Cost Limits and Determinations Administrative costs are limited to 8% of the total amount allocated to a subrecipient during a budget year. Administrative costs for your budget includes indirect and direct costs that are considered administrative costs. Applicants should explicitly show that administrative expenses are less than or equal to 8%. Note : In the budget template, applicants will identify which line items count as administrative expenses (such as program management salaries) and show that their sum is 8% or less of the total. The administrative cap is based on CMS requirements that no more than 10% of the amount allotted to a state for a fiscal year may be used by the state for administrative expenses ( Public Law 119-21 ). This cap applies to the cumulative administrative costs for the entire program, including those incurred by both the state and any subrecipients. Therefore, DHS has determined an 8% allowable administrative cap for this grant funding opportunity. See CMS’s RHTP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (, 2025), Sec. II, No. 91, and Sec. V, No. 8 and No. 9, for additional guidance. The FAQ provides the following further guidance: • Personnel costs costs (FAQ Sec. III, No. 91 and Sec. III, No. 92). If staff are III, No. 109). • Determinations about whether a cost is “programmatic” or “administrative” depends on the nature of the activities performed (FAQ Sec. III, No. 101, Sec. V, No. 62, Sec. V, No. 63). • Final determinations on costs will be made by CMS. Detailed justifications for requested expenses are necessary to ensure they are approved (FAQ Sec. III, No. 101 and 103). Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 19 (06/2026) - October 31 - Examples of costs that are administrative (See FAQ ): • General oversight and expenses “such as director’s office, accounting, administrative personnel, and other types of expenditures classified as administrative” (FAQ Sec. V, No. 67) • Salaries for program management staff (FAQ Sec. III, No. 62) • State personnel costs administering the grant (FAQ Sec. III, No. 92) • Staff “managing or overseeing the grant itself” (FAQ Sec. III, No. 109) • Hiring an independent evaluator to collect data and evaluate the program (FAQ Sec. V, No. 62) • Hiring an accountant to keep track of RHT program funds (FAQ Sec. V, No. 63) • Hiring staff to train faculty on program or project management (FAQ Sec. V, No. 63) Examples of costs that are likely programmatic (See FAQ ): • Costs are programmatic if they are “directly related to implementing, executing, and/or delivering activities described within specific initiatives in the state’s application and the state provides sufficient detail in their application to justify their initiatives budget.” (FAQ Sec. III, No. 103) o Costs directly related to implementing, executing, or delivering activities specifically identified in the state’s application are presumed to be programmatic in nature. o Any programmatic costs must “support expansion and scale to better serve rural communities, not to replace or duplicate existing funding sources” (FAQ Sec. III, No. 61). If funds are used to expand a pre-existing pilot or program, RHT funds shall only apply “to the costs associated with the new population, new activities, new program milestones” and to supplement costs previously funded by the state or existing fiduciaries. • Directly carrying out program activities, such as providing technical services, technical assistance, or supporting program operations like expanding programs to rural areas or implementing new initiatives (FAQ Sec. III, No. 109) • Hiring and training new community health workers to serve residents in a clinical workforce area. (FAQ Sec. V, No. 6) • Purchasing new patient monitoring devices and educational materials to specifically serve populations in the clinical workforce area. (FAQ Sec. V, No. 6) • Startup costs to establish new contracts or agreements for service delivery in the counties (FAQ Sec. V, No. 6) • Hiring preceptors or equipment to facilitate training residents on how to access RHT services or programs. (FAQ Sec. III, No. 103) • Community colleges using funds to create “a structured, certifiable pathway to a new degree, new certification, or to a career and/or new job opportunity in the clinical workforce area.” (FAQ Sec. III, No. 105; note the 5-year commitment requirements) Rural Dental Efficiency and Access Grant Page 20 (06/2026)
Quality ImprovementFY 2026