Connecticut ahead is a collaborative effort led by the department of social services focused on improving health and addressing healthcare costs for connecticut residents - the department of social…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded the Connecticut Department of Social Services $14,406,424.29 through Cooperative Agreement 4S4CMS332095 under the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) Model (CFDA 93.968) on June 1, 2026.

Connecticut AHEAD supports statewide healthcare cost containment and payment reform through care transformation, new payment structures for providers, and population health planning. The recipient will hire program staff to provide strategic direction, coordination, and management for the model; convene the AHEAD Advisory Committee and other key stakeholders; and support fiscal operations and budget preparation. The state will engage contractors to support strategic planning and implementation of Medicaid and commercial hospital global budgets, primary care payment reform, primary care practice recruitment, payment systems and operations infrastructure, and the statewide accountability target framework. The first-year budget is $4.8 million.

The Connecticut Office of Policy and Management is named as sub-recipient. The AHEAD Advisory Committee, comprising stakeholders with diverse perspectives, will guide model governance and inform activities and partnerships.

Performance spans the entire state of Connecticut. The period of performance runs from June 1, 2026, through December 31, 2029. The assistance type is a Cooperative Agreement.

Connecticut ahead is a collaborative effort led by the department of social services focused on improving health and addressing healthcare costs for connecticut residents - the department of social services DSS is applying for the ahead model cooperative agreement as the lead applicant through a directed announcement and will include the entire state as part of the models service area. DSS is naming the connecticut office of policy and management OPM as a sub recipient. Through care transformation new payment structures for providers and population health planning DSS and OPM aim to curb healthcare costs and improve health care outcomes for connecticut residents. This process will be guided by a model governance structure the ahead advisory committee which consists of stakeholders with a wide range of perspectives to inform model activities and build partnerships to achieve model goals. DSS and OPM will use the first year budget of 4.8 million dollars to hire program staff that will take on tasks like providing strategic direction coordination and management for the model convening the ahead advisory committee and other key stakeholders and supporting fiscal operations and budget preparation. The state also plans to hire contractors that will support strategic planning design and implementation of medicaid and commercial hospital global budgets primary care payment reform primary care practice recruitment payment systems and operations infrastructure and the statewide accountability target framework.