MT · 56 Counties
Montana Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Montana's 68 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Montana?
Montana has 68 active hospitals across 56 counties, including 50 Critical Access Hospitals and 56 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Montana?
Montana's 68 hospitals collectively operate 3,433 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Montana have no hospital?
7 of Montana's 56 counties (13%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Montana?
Of Montana's 68 hospitals, 12 are not-for-profit, 3 are for-profit, and 53 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Montana?
The median operating margin for Montana's hospitals is -8.6% as of FY2025. 28 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Montana have negative operating margins?
28 of Montana's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Montana?
The average occupancy rate across Montana's hospitals is 50.0% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Montana?
Montana receives 28 active HRSA grants totaling $28.8M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($16.7M), Flex Program ($6.6M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($4.0M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.5M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Montana?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Montana, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $16.7M across 25 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Montana?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Montana, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $6.6M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Montana?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Montana, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $4.0M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Montana?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Montana, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.5M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Montana?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Montana are: Bighorn Valley Health Center Inc ($9.3M); Montana State University ($8.3M); State Of Montana Department Of Health And Human Services ($6.9M); St. James Healthcare Foundation, Inc. ($921K); County Of Lewis & Clark ($900K). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Montana receive?
Montana receives $233.5M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.2B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is State of Montana Department of Health and Human Services. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Montana?
State of Montana Department of Health and Human Services is the designated lead agency managing Montana's $233.5M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Montana?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Montana's $233.5M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Montana's counties?
Across Montana's 56 counties, the average diabetes rate is 8.4%, obesity rate is 33.5%, and uninsured rate is 11.9%. There are 6.8 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Montana's communities?
Montana has 7 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.31 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Montana?
Montana has 342 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 116 in primary care, 104 in dental health, and 122 in mental health. An estimated 1,929,746 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Montana have?
Montana has 938 primary care physicians (82.8/100k population), 1,363 nurse practitioners, 927 physician assistants, and 857 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $10,541 with a 14.5% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Montana at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Montana's average county-level rates: diabetes 11.9%, obesity 33.6%, depression 24%, frequent mental distress 17.3%, smoking 15.8%, and high blood pressure 36.6%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Montana?
Montana has 135 FQHC sites operated by 13 grantee organizations. 90 sites (66.7%) are in rural areas and 45 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Montana?
Montana has 55 HRSA medically underserved designations: 49 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 6 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 49.2 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Montana prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Montana?
Federal data on Montana's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 68 hospitals in Montana.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Montana Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Montana's 68 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.