Rural America Health Corps Act

This bill, called the Rural America Health Corps Act, aims to bring more health workers to rural areas. It creates a test program that helps pay off student loans for health care providers who agree to work full-time for five years in rural places that are officially short on providers. The program pays part of your loan each year you serve, and if you finish the fifth year, it pays the rest, up to $200,000 total.

The program follows most of the National Health Service Corps loan rules, but you cannot be in that program at the same time. If someone leaves early, the agency can set a penalty formula, but leaving before five years is not automatically a breach if you completed, in good faith, the years already paid for. The bill sets aside $50 million a year for 2026–2030, and says this program will not affect how shortage areas are labeled during those years. It also requires a report on results within five years of becoming law.

• Who is affected: Health care providers who are eligible for the National Health Service Corps loan repayment program but are not currently in it, and rural communities with too few providers.
• What changes: Five years of full-time service in a rural shortage area in exchange for student loan payments, up to $200,000 total; most NHSC rules still apply; possible penalties for breaking the agreement with some protections.
• When: Funding runs from fiscal years 2026 through 2030; a program report is due within five years of enactment; HPSA designations are unaffected during 2026–2030.