The Rural Veterans Health Access Program (RVHAP) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), aims to improve healthcare access and care coordination for veterans living in rural areas. The program provides funding to states to develop regional networks that address the unique healthcare challenges rural veterans face, including limited access to services, care coordination difficulties, and barriers related to mental health, aging, and social determinants of health. The RVHAP focuses on improving access to healthcare services, expanding veterans' enrollment in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, and ensuring rural providers are able to bill for services provided to veterans.

A total of up to $600,000 is expected to be available for fiscal year 2025, with funding for up to three cooperative agreements of $200,000 each. The funding period is for three years, beginning August 1, 2025, and ending July 31, 2028, contingent upon continued appropriations and satisfactory performance. Only states that are current Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program award recipients are eligible to apply, and HRSA will accept only one application per state. Special consideration will be given to applications from states where 25 percent or more of the veteran population lives in rural areas, ensuring equitable support for areas with significant rural veteran populations.

Applicants must develop strategies that meet the program’s core objectives, including improving healthcare access for underserved veteran populations, coordinating care between the VA system and community providers, providing veterans with benefits counseling, and assisting rural providers in billing for veteran services. Activities should focus on innovative approaches such as establishing telehealth systems, strengthening provider networks, and engaging advisory panels or coalitions to address mental health, substance use disorders, racial health disparities, and other challenges facing rural veterans. Collaboration with one of the five Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers (VRHRCs) is required, and applicants must include a letter of support from a VRHRC to demonstrate partnership.

Applications must include a project narrative, a high-level work plan outlining objectives and activities, a budget justification, and key attachments such as staffing plans, organizational charts, and biographical sketches of key personnel. Applicants must also describe their plans for stakeholder engagement, data collection and reporting, and project sustainability beyond the federal funding period. The narrative must address identified needs, propose solutions, and include performance measures to evaluate program success, such as the number of veterans served, types of care provided, and progress in benefits enrollment.

Applications will be evaluated based on six criteria: need, response, evaluation measures, impact, resources and capabilities, and budget justification. Special consideration will be given to states with significant rural veteran populations. HRSA will review risk factors, such as past performance and organizational capacity, before making final funding decisions. Awards will be announced by August 1, 2025, with the projects beginning immediately thereafter.

Applications are due by February 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time and must be submitted through Grants.gov. Applicants are encouraged to participate in an informational webinar on December 16, 2024, to learn more about the program and application process. Reporting requirements include quarterly progress reports and annual end-of-year reports to monitor program outcomes and expenditures. HRSA emphasizes the importance of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability to address the healthcare needs of rural veterans effectively.