By Jordan Hansen DAILY MONTANAN
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services announced this week it is opening grants for rural emergency medical services across the state.
There is $4 million available for rural EMS agencies in Montana. The money can be used to upgrade ambulances or equipment, a state press release said.
“Modern, well-equipped ambulances are the backbone of effective emergency care in Montana,” DPHHS Director Charlie Brereton said in a press release. “This grant is a critical investment in our local EMS agencies, so even our most rural and frontier communities can count on fast, high-quality, life-saving care when every second counts.”
Eligibility is based on need, the release said, as well as age, model, and operational status of ambulances, as well as gaps in patient care. Some rural communities face hours of time before they can get to larger medical facilities.
The money comes from $233 million in federal rural healthcare funding, which is being run through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That money is part of a larger, five-year commitment that could net the state $1.2 billion in federal healthcare funding. The Rural Health Transformation Program, created as part of the “One Big, Beautiful” reconciliation bill allocates $10 billion per year for rural healthcare funding around the country.
Montana got the fourth-highest initial award of any state — all 50 states received some degree of funding through the programs.
Applications for grants will be available through Aug. 15, 2026, the press release said.
