The federal Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) application period opened Monday. Virginia and other states will now have until Nov. 5 to apply for their piece of the $10 billion dollar per year pie. With $50 billion earmarked over the next five years, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz emphasized on a press call Monday morning how the fund can address root issues for rural health challenges. Following this year’s gubernatorial election, either Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle-Sears could oversee the next state budget that would address changes spurred by the federal health care actions. Either woman would also be able to weigh in on future Rural Health Transformation Fund applications to direct that federal money to Virginia’s areas of need.