Foa_Content_of_HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MPPG-0025.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Center for Innovation and Partnership

Senior Medicare Patrol State Project Grants - Michigan

HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MPPG-0025

03/14/2025

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goals and Objectives

Proposed Intervention

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Project Management

Evaluation

Dissemination

Budget Narrative/Justification

Work Plan

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Funding Opportunity Title:

Senior Medicare Patrol State Project Grants - Michigan Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MPPG-0025

Primary CFDA Number:

93.048 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

02/18/2025 Due Date for Applications:

03/14/2025 Date for Informational Conference Call:

01/23/2025 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Michigan State Project Grant Informational Webinar https://www.grants.gov/

The Administration for Community Living, Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling is hosting an Information Webinar on Thursday, January 23, 2025, from 3 to 4 p.m. EST to highlight elements of this Notice of Funding Opportunity - HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MPPG-0025 Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) State Project Grants – Michigan. The webinar will provide an overview and cover key dates, application components, and contacts of the SMP funding opportunity. Closed Captioning will be provided for this webinar. If you need other accommodations to participate, please contact marcia.gordon@acl.hhs.gov.

Use this registration link to join the webinar:

https://hhsgov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_GRHxw5cFRqyJBuSOnLesoQ

I. Funding Opportunity Description SMP Mission

The mission of the SMP program is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries to prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. To further this mission, all SMP program activities are organized around four strategic program objectives:

1. Provide group education and one-on-one assistance to Medicare beneficiaries on a statewide basis, with a specific emphasis on those with greatest economic and social need.

2. Recruit, train, and retain a diverse, sufficient, effective, and representative workforce equipped to provide high-quality education and one-on-one support.

3. Monitor and assess SMP results through operational and quality measures.

4. Position SMP to nimbly and effectively respond to changes in the programmatic landscape.

Program History The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) estimates that Medicare loses billions of dollars each year due to errors, fraud, and abuse. The 1997 Senate Report 104-368 noted that "senior citizens are our best front-line defense against these losses, but they often don't have the information and experience needed" to recognize and accurately report cases of error, fraud, and abuse. These losses are due, to a considerable extent, to the many ways in which the funds are disbursed as well as to the sheer magnitude surrounding the dynamics of healthcare expenditures. Both factors increase the probability of errors while opening wider opportunities for fraud and abuse.

To address this growing issue the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program was created to coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement activities with respect to healthcare fraud and abuse. Now in its 25th year of operation, the HCFAC Program continues to demonstrate its success in protecting beneficiaries by identifying and prosecuting the most egregious instances of healthcare fraud and preventing future fraud and abuse. As partner in these efforts ACL administers the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program which funds a nationwide network of local community-based partners and team members to provide outreach and education to Medicare beneficiaries about how to prevent, detect, and report healthcare fraud. The SMP program plays an important role in the broader HCFAC Program by focusing on mailto:marcia.gordon@acl.hhs.gov https://hhsgov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_GRHxw5cFRqyJBuSOnLesoQ community outreach and Medicare beneficiary empowerment with the goal of stopping fraud before it occurs.

SMP Program Today ACL funds 54 state SMP projects, including grantees in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. The SMP projects use this funding to provide local outreach, education, and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries through a trained volunteer and in-kind workforce. SMP projects teach Medicare beneficiaries to take proactive steps to protect themselves and the Medicare program from potential fraud, errors, and abuse. SMP projects actively disseminate fraud prevention and identification information through the media, outreach campaigns, community events, and one-on-one beneficiary support. SMPs help individuals and their loved ones understand how to review their healthcare statements and bills for accuracy, as well as how to identify and avoid potential fraud schemes. If suspicious activity is identified or suspected, SMPs can help answer questions, resolve errors, or report suspicious activity for further investigation.

One key role of the SMP projects is to assist beneficiaries by referring potential fraud complaints on to other investigative entities, as appropriate. This process can include facilitating referrals to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Bureau of lnvestigations (FBI), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state Medicaid fraud control units (MFCUs), state attorney generals, and other organizations. Capturing SMP program activity data is also a key function of the projects, including tracking, analyzing, and reporting of beneficiary complaints, referrals, potential savings, and other outcomes.

Annual OIG Report on SMP Program Each year, the HHS-OIG completes an annual performance report on the SMP projects. In 2023, the 54 SMP projects had a total of 5,532 active team members who conducted a total of 22,356 group outreach and education events, reaching an estimated 1,244,697 people. In addition, the projects had 270,348 individual interactions with, or on behalf of, Medicare beneficiaries.

According to the annual OIG Report, the program has educated over 45 million beneficiaries since its inception through 513,000 group education and outreach sessions. The true value of the program and primary focus of SMP grantee work is on education, prevention, and teaching beneficiaries how to protect themselves and avoid fraud in the first place. The impact of these education and prevention activities is extremely difficult to quantify in dollars and cents. As HHS-OIG indicated in their 2022 report on the SMP program:

We note that the projects may not be receiving full credit for recoveries, savings, and cost avoidance attributable to their work. It is not always possible to track referrals to Medicare contractors or law enforcement from beneficiaries who have learned to detect fraud, waste, and abuse from the projects. In addition, the projects are unable to track the potentially substantial savings derived from a sentinel effect whereby Medicare beneficiaries' scrutiny of their bills reduces fraud and errors.

Strategic Program Objectives This opportunity will fund SMP work done in the state of Michigan only. Applicants must address each of the following strategic program objectives as part of their project narrative to further the goal of preventing Medicare fraud in Michigan:

1. Provide group education and one-on-one assistance to Medicare beneficiaries on a statewide basis, with a specific emphasis on those with greatest economic and social need.

2. Recruit, train, and retain a diverse, sufficient, effective, and representative workforce equipped to provide high-quality education and one-on-one support.

3. Monitor and assess SMP results through operational and quality measures.

4. Position SMP to nimbly and effectively respond to changes in the programmatic landscape.

Project narratives should propose specific goals and activities to address each component of the four strategic program objectives as follows:

1. Provide group education and one-on-one assistance to Medicare beneficiaries on a statewide basis, with a specific emphasis on those in Michigan with greatest economic and social need. Applicants must describe a comprehensive plan to achieve statewide SMP coverage. Statewide coverage means the applicant must have the capacity to provide SMP services, including group education and one-on-one assistance, in each county within the state. In the project narrative, applicants must:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the geographic service area, including barriers to program access and strategies specifically designed to overcome these barriers.

2. Identify populations with the greatest historical and current need within the state, any barriers to program access specific to these populations, and plans for addressing those barriers.

3. Explain plans to provide one-on-one assistance, both in-person and virtually.

Applicants must describe the types and levels of service to be provided as well as the approaches to achieve or enhance services, such as the development of websites and web-based strategies, the use of toll-free lines, ability to flexibly shift to atypical service provision as public need requires, and/or the development of sub-grants, contracts, or partnerships with other local, regional, or statewide organizations.

4. Explain plans to provide in-person group education sessions to teach beneficiaries to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. Applicants must describe the types and levels of service to be provided, as well as the approaches to achieve or enhance services, such as the development of sub-grants, contracts, or partnerships with other local, regional, or statewide organizations.

5. Describe plans to build on existing partnerships and the development of new partnerships to establish a strong network to deliver SMP services. Examples of potential partners could include, but are not limited to:

1. Other local or state programs receiving ACL funding to provide services to older adults and people with disabilities, including but not limited to:

State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs, Elder Abuse Prevention programs, Benefits

Enrollment Centers, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers/No-Wrong Door (ADRC/NWD), Assistive Technology programs, Traumatic Brain Injury Programs, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, State Protection and Advocacy Systems, Nutrition Services, Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs, and Legal Assistance programs.

2. Local, state, and national organizations within the law enforcement and health care networks which may include state attorneys general, state MFCUs, CMS, HHS-OIG, FBI, and FTC.

3. Partnerships to intentionally focus on reaching those in greatest economic and social need. This may include organizations or groups who have demonstrated expertise and previous success in focusing on these populations.

6. Outline a statewide media and outreach plan based on a preliminary assessment of state and national healthcare fraud trends and issues, including focus on targeting those in greatest economic and social need of SMP program services and those traditionally underserved.

2. Recruit, train, and retain a diverse, sufficient, effective, and representative workforce equipped to provide high quality education and one-on-one support.

Applicants must provide a plan to ready a nimble workforce to provide high quality service to beneficiaries including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Describe a plan to initially and continually train and certify all SMP team members (staff, in-kind, and volunteers) with the information necessary to perform the work of the SMP program:

1. At the most basic level including:

▪ Basic mission and functions of the SMP program;

▪ Medicare basics; and

▪ Healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse.

2. At a more advanced workforce training level including:

▪ Development of effective skills in conducting educational presentations and outreach;

▪ Resolution of beneficiary inquiries and complaints;

▪ Referrals for further action, when appropriate; and

▪ Understanding and implementation of skills to support serving those in greatest economic and social need.

3. The training plan should also cite the training materials and resources to be used to achieve the training objectives. NOTE: The SMP National Resource Center develops and provides training materials that are available for use to all successful SMP awardees. Non-incumbent applicants may contact the SMPRC for access to basic training-related material information.

4. Minimum initial and ongoing training requirements, knowledge testing, and certification of all SMP team member roles must be clearly defined by the grantee and consistently applied to all team members.

https://smpresource.org/ https://smpresource.org/

2. Describe a plan to recruit, retain, and manage paid, volunteer, and in-kind team members throughout the state. The plan should include implementation of ACL's Volunteer Risk and Program Management (VRPM) policies and the ACL Conflict of Interest guidance for the SHIP, SMP, and MIPPA Programs. Identifying and appropriately managing risks related to team member involvement and service delivery is an important aspect of effective program management. Proposals should include approaches to ensure team members are:

i. Appropriately recruited and screened to ensure ability to perform assigned duties and to identify potential conflicts of interest;

ii. Thoroughly trained to provide effective service, and enhance the quality of the SMP program;

iii. Consistently provided ongoing supervision, management, and support to ensure the safety, integrity, and professionalism of the SMP workforce;

iv. Habitually compliant with procedures and practices to ensure that confidentiality of program information is maintained; and

v. Supported to ensure retention and continued high morale.

In every case, applicants should propose activities that will effectively employ the unique skills, varied experiences, good will, and availability of team members in assisting beneficiaries to become more educated about Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.

ACL's VRPM policy and procedure resources are available on ACL's website:

https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/volunteer-risk-and-program-management-vrpm-policies. The VRPM policies provide a framework that allows each individual SMP project to have the flexibility and responsibility to develop volunteer risk and program management policies and procedures. NOTE: Any new (non-incumbent) SMP project grantees will receive a reasonable amount of time to implement these policies. Successful non-incumbent applicants will be asked to negotiate this timeline with ACL individually after awards are made.

ACL's Conflict of lnterest: Identification, Remedy, and Removal guidance found here: https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/managing-conflicts-interest-ship-smp-and-mippa-programs. This guidance was developed to provide technical assistance to the SMP, SHIP, and Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) programs and their community-based partners on how to avoid actual and perceived conflicts of interest and mitigate risk.

3. Monitor and assess SMP results through operational and quality measures. ACL requires SMP projects to use the SMP data system, known as the SMP Information and Reporting System (SIRS), to collect, track, assess, and measure program performance data. SIRS data is summarized annually in an HHS-OIG report titled Performance Data for the Senior Medicare Patrol Projects. Recent reports are available on ACL's website:

https://acl.gov/programs/protecting-rights-and-preventing-abuse/senior-medicare-patrol-smp

Applicants must describe plans to comply with SMP reporting requirements including:

https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/volunteer-risk-and-program-management-vrpm-policies https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/volunteer-risk-and-program-management-vrpm-policies https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/managing-conflicts-interest-ship-smp-and-mippa-programs https://acl.gov/programs/senior-medicare-patrol/managing-conflicts-interest-ship-smp-and-mippa-programs https://acl.gov/programs/protecting-rights-and-preventing-abuse/senior-medicare-patrol-smp https://acl.gov/programs/protecting-rights-and-preventing-abuse/senior-medicare-patrol-smp

a. Timely data entry of SMP activities into SIRS, including one-on-one interactions with beneficiaries, group education and outreach events, media education and outreach events, SMP team members, and SMP team member activities.

b. Participation in quality assurance activities:

i. Successful applicants must participate in an SMP Customer Satisfaction Survey which requires evaluation of both one-on-one interactions and group education events. To satisfy this requirement SMPs will be asked to:

▪ Ensure proper collection and reporting of beneficiary information so ACL may conduct post-service satisfaction surveys of a random sample of SMP clients.

▪ Periodically administer pre- and post- surveys at group education events, as requested by ACL. Each SMP project will be surveyed twice annually.

ii. Describe any additional quality assessment activities proposed outside the required surveys described above.

iii. Ongoing performance management, including regular assessment of progress toward goals and objectives, growth areas and obstacles, and strategies for performance improvement on the SMP performance measures listed below, as well as any other applicant-identified measures of success. Applicants are expected to provide a plan to continually assess gaps in program reach in order to strengthen provided services.

Performance Measure

(PM) Definition

1.TOTAL NUMBER OF

ACTIVE SMP TEAM

MEMBERS

Total number of individuals who spent time on the SMP program, including SMP-paid, in-kind paid, and volunteer team members

2. TOTAL NUMBER OF

SMP TEAM MEMBER

HOURS

Total number of hours contributed by team members while performing SMP work and receiving training to perform SMP work, including time spent by SMP-paid, in-kind paid, and volunteer team members

3. NUMBER OF GROUP

OUTREACH AND

EDUCATION EVENTS

Total number of community outreach events, education activities, and presentations to educate beneficiaries, family members, caregivers, and others about SMP services and detecting healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse

4. ESTIMATED NUMBER

OF PEOPLE REACHED

THROUGH GROUP

OUTREACH AND

EDUCATION EVENTS

Total estimated number of people reached as a result of SMP group outreach and education activities

5. NUMBER OF

INDIVIDUAL

INTERACTIONS WITH,

OR ON BEHALF OF, A

Total number of individual interactions between SMP team members and beneficiaries, family members, caregivers, or others for the purpose of discussing or gathering information about potential health care fraud, errors, or abuse

MEDICARE

BENEFICIARY

6. COST AVOIDANCE ON

BEHALF OF MEDICARE,

MEDICAID,

BENEFICIARIES, OR

OTHERS

Healthcare expenditures for which the government, a beneficiary, or other entity was relieved of responsibility for payment

7. EXPECTED MEDICARE

RECOVERIES

Actual and expected Medicare recoveries from criminal actions, settlements, civil judgments, or over payments that resulted from the referral. Includes recoveries associated with a project's referral that resulted in the opening of an investigation or where the SMP made a meaningful contribution to an existing investigation

8. ADDITIONAL

EXPECTED MEDICARE

RECOVERIES

Actual and expected Medicare recoveries from criminal actions, settlements, civil judgments, or over payments that resulted from the referral. Includes recoveries associated with a project's referral to an existing investigation where the SMP's information validated existing information

9. EXPECTED MEDICAID

RECOVERIES

Actual and expected Medicaid recoveries from criminal actions, settlements, civil judgments, or over payments that resulted from the referral. Includes recoveries associated with a project's referral that resulted in the opening of an investigation or where the SMP made a meaningful contribution to an existing investigation

10. ADDITIONAL

EXPECTED MEDICAID

RECOVERIES

Actual and expected Medicaid recoveries from criminal actions, settlements, civil judgments, or over payments that resulted from the referral. Includes recoveries associated with a project's referral to an existing investigation where the SMP's information validated existing information

11. ACTUAL SAVINGS

TO BENEFICIARIES Amount of money recouped to beneficiaries

12. OTHER SAVINGS Amount of money recouped to an entity other than Medicare, Medicaid, or a beneficiary

4. Position SMP to nimbly and effectively respond to changes in the programmatic landscape. Applicants must propose a plan to adapt to changes in the programmatic landscape, such as the increasing Medicare beneficiary population, changes in the geographic distribution of beneficiaries, changes in public health need, varied beneficiary needs by age, and traditionally underserved populations that may need additional assistance understanding how to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. Specifically, applicants must:

1. Identify any anticipated changes in the programmatic landscape and explain how these changes will be addressed by the SMP project;

2. Address readiness to nimbly and effectively shift as unanticipated changes in the programmatic landscape are identified;

3. Describe the target populations to be served, including;

1. identifying the target populations and the reasons why the applicant has chosen to target the specific populations;

2. addressing barriers in access or provision of program services to the target populations; and

3. detailing proposed innovative and collaborative methods to reach the target populations.

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for the grant under this program announcement is contained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 (PL 104-191); (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 93.048) and Older Americans Act, Title 42 U.S.C.

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$890,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$890,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$500,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' ACL plans to fund up to 1 new SMP project under this award for a total project period of three

(3) years, comprised of three (3) budget periods. This award will be made contingent upon the availability of federal funds.

To maximize limited SMP funding and achieve national program coverage, it is necessary to limit the number of SMP grantees to one (1) per state, district, or territory. By eliminating duplicative or overlapping awards to more than one organization within a state, ACL not only maximizes national program coverage, but ensures greater equity in allocation of SMP services to Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of their state of residence. This award will be for work being done in Michigan only.

ACL anticipates awarding SMP funding using the following funding formula:

1. SMP Base Grant Award o Funding of up to $230,000 per budget period for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico o Funding of up to $95,000 per budget period for Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands o Funding of up to $50,000 American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands

2. Additional SMP funding o Additional SMP funding allocated to successful applicants based on the following formula:

1. 80% of the remaining funds available distributed based on the total Medicare beneficiary population in each state/territory;

11. 10% of the remaining funds available distributed based on the population of rural Medicare beneficiaries in each state/territory; and

111. 10% of the remaining funds available distributed based on the population of Medicare beneficiaries with limited income in each state/territory.

ACL will rerun this formula annually once the total funding availability for the SMP project grants has been established for the fiscal year. ACL will notify grantees of the state funding amounts as soon as possible each year, at which time ACL will request annual budgets from applicants/grantees. Grantees will be able to adjust their budgets accordingly on an annual basis.

For this funding announcement, each applicant must submit a 424 and 424A based on the FY 2025 estimates listed below.

The funding amount below was derived using the formula outlined above. Applicants are only eligible for the funding amount associated with Michigan as listed below:

State Estimated Budget for FY2025

Michigan - $890,000

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

This award will be a new cooperative agreement. ACL will be substantially involved in the SMP project activities. The terms and conditions for this cooperative agreement are as follows and will be incorporated, by reference, in the Notice of Award (NOA).

ACL Project Officer and/or OHIC team/leadership will execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement as listed below:

1. Perform the day-to-day federal responsibilities of managing this grant initiative and work with the grantee to ensure that the necessary requirements for the grant are met.

2. Assist the grantee project leadership in understanding the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL by conducting periodic briefings and by carrying out ongoing, regular consultations.

3. Work cooperatively with the grantee to clarify the programmatic and budgetary issues to be addressed by the project. If issues are identified, they will work with the grantee to revise the project work plan, detailing expectations for major activities and products.

4. Provide technical advice to the grantee related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this grant.

5. Review and provide technical advice on grantee work products.

6. Provide consultation to the grantee in identifying emerging issues as they relate to the goals and objectives of this grant program.

7. Work with the grantee on the development and implementation of evaluation and quality assurance systems to ensure that performance is measured, and continuous improvement occurs.

8. Attend and participate in major project events, as appropriate.

9. Act as representative for the national SMP program, as appropriate.

The Grantee will execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement as listed below:

1. Participate in ACL education and communication activities, including teleconferences, webinars, and monthly meetings to discuss grant-related activities and programmatic budgetary concerns.

2. Share information with ACL, fellow SMP projects, and other national, state, and local partner organizations, as appropriate. Common sharing activities include attending and participating in monthly SMP Networking calls, regular check-in calls with assigned OHIC Project Officer, monthly calls with the CMS SMP/SHIP Liaisons and other HHS regional grantees, uploading materials to the SMP Resource Library, and otherwise disseminating best practices and challenges.

3. Participate in training opportunities:

1. Attend the Annual OHIC National Conference. A portion of the grant award shall be designated for travel expenses to this event. Attendees must include the SMP Program Director and/or a designee. Grantees are required to send at least one person to this event annually and are encouraged to send additional appropriate program representation to utilize OHIC's attendee allowance and maximize learning.

2. All new SMP directors are required to attend the new director orientation and training provided by ACL and the SMP National Resource Center as soon as possible following appointment. This includes attendance at any in-person or virtual training required for new directors by ACL.

3. All SMP team members are required to meet minimum initial and ongoing training requirements, knowledge testing, and certification standards as clearly defined by ACL and state grantee.

4. Grantees must adhere to ACL guidance related to Conflict of lnterest (COI) and Volunteer Risk and Program Management (VRPM) policies.

5. Additionally, grantees are expected to use grant funds to send appropriate staff to other pertinent trainings provided by ACL, CMS, or other federal/state partners to ensure staff maintain a comprehensive understanding of grant expectations, Medicare knowledge to appropriately manage the grant, and potential fraud trends.

4. Maintain a customer-oriented and user-friendly toll-free telephone number for use by Medicare-eligible individuals for SMP-related inquiries. Maintain a dedicated, up-to date, publicly available webpage and online presence. Respond timely to all public requests, whether received directly or referred through national contact means and routed to their assigned state.

5. Collect and input project performance data into the SMP data system in a timely manner, in accordance with ACL guidelines and training.

6. Coordinate with ACL and other federal partners to handle all outstanding SMP-related cases in a timely manner.

7. Establish and/or nurture ongoing relationships with SHIP and MIPPA directors within the state to ensure continued communication about program overlap and opportunities to partner.

8. Follow processes required by ACL and CMS regarding the use and management of 1- 800-MEDICARE Unique IDs. This includes maintaining the required training, certifications, and documentation necessary to maintain active Unique ID(s).

9. Include the express acknowledgment on all SMP related or funded public information materials, including those developed or disseminated by funding sub-recipients. This language should read, "This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $x with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.." (HHS Grants Policy Statement: https://www.hhs.gov/guidance/document/stevens-amendment).

10. Use the national SMP logo and tagline on all SMP publications and products, in accordance with up-to-date program branding requirements.

11. Never represent SMP nationally without detailed discussion and express prior approval by ACL.

Once a cooperative agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the mutual agreement of both parties, except where ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments. When an award is issued, the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants For FY 2024 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state governments; county governments; city or township governments; special district governments; public and state contro11ed institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than Federa11y recognized tribal governments); nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education; or private institutions of higher education.

Under this competition, ACL plans to fund one (1) SMP project for a 36-month project period.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria

Applications that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed. The successful SMP applicant will be an organization that meets the following basic evaluation criteria:

1. Demonstrated expertise in implementation through collaboration and work with volunteers to achieve program objectives;

2. Technological capacity to implement the SMP web-based data collection, management tracking, and reporting system, known as SIRS; and

3. Organizational capacity to provide statewide virtual and in-person SMP program coverage.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov; by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, sized 8 ½" x 11" with l" margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project http://www.grants.gov/

Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

Applicants seeking late submission approval must provide authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of submission. For example, applicants will be required to provide an http://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

• At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

• All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

SAM.GOV Quick Start Guide for Financial Assistance Registrations.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=54e0016fdb3bbd90a8cb4a3913961934 should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

1.

• Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

• Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

2. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

3. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

4. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

• The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New

Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

• You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Donna Bethge https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov

Phone Number : (202) 795-7659

Email: Donna.bethge@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter Of Intent 02/18/2025

02/18/2025 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Community Living

Donna Bethge

Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling

Washington, D.C. (202) 795-7659

Email: Donna.bethge@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative Project Narrative must be double-spaced, sized 8 ½" x 11" with 1" margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, preferably Times New Roman or Arial. Smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats can be used. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 10 to 20 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit, but all other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether the project meets the minimum requirements for grants under the authorizing statutes. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of the proposed SMP project. ACL recommends that the project narrative include the following components as part of the 20-page limit:

• Summary/Abstract

• Problem Statement

• Goal(s) and Objective(s)

• Proposed Intervention

• Special Target Populations and Organizations

• Outcomes

• Project Management Evaluation

• Dissemination

• Organizational Capability

Summary/Abstract Include a brief - no more than 265 words maximum - description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the "Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract."

Problem Statement Describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the proposed intervention is designed to address, including how the project will potentially affect older adults and/or people with disabilities, identified state-specific marginalized communities, their families and caregivers, and the health care and social services systems.

Goals and Objectives Describe the project's goal(s) and major objectives. Unless the project involves multiple complex interventions, ACL recommends proposing only one overall goal. The proposed project goal(s) and objectives should be reflective of the priority activities discussed in SMP Strategic Program Objectives (see Section I).

Proposed Intervention Provide a clear and concise description of the proposed intervention to address the problem described in the "Problem Statement." Describe the rationale for using the particular intervention, including factors such as: "lessons learned" for similar projects previously tested in the targeted community(ies) or in other areas of the country; factors in the larger environment that have created the "right conditions" for the intervention (e.g., existing social or economic factors to take advantage of, etc.). Also note any anticipated major barriers, and how the proposed intervention will address those barriers.

Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any planned strategic partnerships in implementing the intervention, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups. This section should also provide a detailed plan for the management and operation of the SMP project. Plans must address the key elements discussed in Section I - "SMP Mission and Strategic Program Objectives," including:

1. Provide group education and one-on-one assistance to Medicare beneficiaries on a statewide basis.

2. Recruit, train, and retain a sufficient and effective workforce ready to provide high quality education and one-on-one support.

3. Monitor and assess SMP results through operational and quality measures.

4. Position SMP to nimbly and effectively respond to changes in the programmatic landscape.

Special Target Populations and Organizations Describe plans to involve organizations in a meaningful way in the planning and implementation of the proposed project. This section should also describe whether the proposed intervention will target commonly underserved populations and, if so, how.

Outcomes Clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes). This section should also describe how the project's findings might benefit the field at large (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems, how the findings could help bridge existing gaps related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, etc.). List measurable outcomes in the work plan grid ("Project Work Plan-Sample Template") under "Measurable Outcomes" in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A "measurable outcome" is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness, or behavior. It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. Additional examples include: a change in the responsiveness or cost-effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated in the aging network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of aging; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in persons receiving services. A measurable outcome is not a measurable "output", such as: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

The focus of this section is describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. Use the Evaluation section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Applications will be scored on the clarity and nature of proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited.