HRSA Updates Rural Area Definition: What It Means for Rural Health Funding

HRSA recently announced an important update to the criteria for defining “rural area.” Effective November 21, 2024, this change incorporates new terrain factors and clarifications that will shape eligibility for rural health funding opportunities starting with Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Notices of Funding Opportunity.

Key Changes to the Rural Definition

HRSA’s updated definition integrates the Road Ruggedness Scale (RRS), developed by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2023. This innovative tool considers terrain ruggedness, recognizing the unique challenges such areas face in accessing healthcare. Under the revised criteria, rural areas include:

• Non-metropolitan counties.
• Outlying metropolitan counties with no population from an urban area of 50,000 or more people.
• Census tracts in metropolitan counties with Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes 4-10.
• Census tracts of at least 400 square miles in area with a population density of 35 or less per square mile and RUCA codes 2-3.
• Census tracts with RRS 5 (Highly Rugged) and RUCA codes 2-3 that are at least 20 square miles in area in metropolitan counties.

This update also clarifies definitions to maintain distinctions in population size for urban areas. Specifically, HRSA replaced the phrase “outlying metropolitan counties without an urbanized area” with “outlying metropolitan counties with no population from an urban area of 50,000 or more people.”

Implications for Rural Health Providers and Funders

These changes will directly impact eligibility for federal funding programs administered by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Providers and organizations applying for FORHP grants should review the updated criteria to understand how these changes might affect their eligibility.

Additionally, tools like the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer and the Am I Rural? Tool on the Rural Health Information Hub have been updated to reflect the new definitions. These tools help healthcare organizations and stakeholders quickly determine whether they meet the updated criteria.

Resources and Next Steps

• HRSA Rural Definition Webpage: Updated as of November 21, 2024, to align with the Federal Register publication.
• Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer: Reflects the new criteria.
• Am I Rural? Tool: Updated to align with HRSA’s definitions.
• Rural Data Files: Full data files, reflecting the updated definition, are available for download on HRSA’s Rural Data Files page.

For more information, visit HRSA’s official Federal Register announcement here!

Partner with Burrows Consulting

Understanding and navigating these updated definitions can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Burrows Consulting, we specialize in helping healthcare organizations secure funding, meet compliance standards, and expand operations. Let’s work together to make an impact in rural communities.

Click here to connect with us today!