ACA Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers
Active
- Assistance listing
- 93.506
- Agency
-
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
- Grant awards
- 31 $58,457,793 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Eligible applicants
-
- State
- U.S. Territories and possessions
- Treasury account
-
- 75-0509-0-1-550
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services funds statewide criminal background check systems for direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities and providers under CFDA 93.506, with the final application deadline having passed on December 30, 2017.
This program is no longer accepting applications. The most recent grant awards were made on June 1, 2018, over eight years ago. Across the program's history from 2010 onward, CMS awarded 31 Project Grants totaling $58.5 million in federal dollars obligated. Award volume peaked in 2012–2013 with four awards per year, then declined sharply; no new awards have been issued since 2018. The program established a one-time solicitation structure tied to the Affordable Care Act's section 6201 mandate rather than ongoing annual competitions.
Funded activities center on establishing statewide, fingerprint-based background check infrastructure and processes. Representative awards include Mississippi's criminal history record check rap-back implementation ($3 million, June 2018), which deployed electronic fingerprinting statewide and created automated notification of employment status changes for long-term care providers; Idaho's background check system upgrade ($1.05 million, June 2018), which replaced aging fingerprint scanners and servers; and Oregon's approach to the national program ($2.87 million, July 2013). States have also used awards to implement live-scan fingerprinting, connect to nurse aide registries and the federal Medicare exclusion list, develop employee roster management systems, and establish rap-back programs for ongoing monitoring of disqualifying criminal activity.
All 31 awards were Project Grants. Funding concentrated entirely within CMS—the portfolio attribution appears to reflect CMS organizational structures rather than multiple agencies. Typical award magnitudes ranged from approximately $55 thousand to $3 million in federal obligations. CMS required a three-to-one match on non-federal state funds, capping the federal share at $3 million for newly applying states and $1.5 million for states in an earlier pilot phase.
Eligible applicants were states and U.S. territories. The program required submission of a formal application scored by a federal technical panel; states achieving 70.2 out of 101 points automatically qualified for funding—this was not a competitive process. Grant periods typically extended up to 36 months. No grant opportunities are currently open.
Objective and description
- Objective
The program is intended to establish a nationwide program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long term care facilities and providers to conduct background checks on a statewide basis on all prospective direct patient access employees.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
CMS is inviting proposals from all States and U.S. territories to be considered for inclusion in this National Background Check Program. Federal matching funds are available to all States and U.S. territories
- Beneficiary eligibility
Beneficiary Eligibility: These facilities and providers include skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospice care providers, long-term care hospitals, personal care service providers, adult day care providers, residential care providers, assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICFs/MR) and other entities that provide long-term care services, as specified by each participating State.
- Uses of assistance
CMS is conducting a nationwide program that will identify efficient, effective and economical procedures for long term care facilities and providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient/resident access employees.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Up to 36 months
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Preapplication is required. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
- Application procedure
Participating States must guarantee non-Federal funds to cover a portion of the cost to conduct the program in their State. CMS will provide a three-to-one match for these funds to each grantee up to a maximum of $3 million for newly applying states and $1.5 million for states that previously participated in the pilot program. The participating State must require fingerprint checks as part of the criminal background check for all direct patient access employees. The participating State must have a plan to implement the program (a) statewide and (b) in all long term care entities specified in Section 6201 of the ACA, although the State may phase-in the program over a multi-year period, and the phase-in may be accomplished by geographical location, provider type, or other factors determined by the State.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The criteria are as specified in Section 6201 (a) (1) of the Affordable Care Act: (1) AGREEMENTS.- H. R. 3590-604 (A) NEWLY PARTICIPATING STATES.-The Secretary shall enter into agreements with each State- (i) that the Secretary has not entered into an agreement with under subsection (c)(1) of such section 307; (ii) that agrees to conduct background checks under the nationwide program on a Statewide basis; and (iii) that submits an application to the Secretary containing such information and at such time as the Secretary may specify. (B) CERTAIN PREVIOUSLY PARTICIPATING STATES.-The Secretary shall enter into agreements with each State- (i) that the Secretary has entered into an agreement with under such subsection (c)(1), but only in the case where such agreement did not require the State to conduct background checks under the program established under subsection (a) of such section 307 on a Statewide basis; (ii) that agrees to conduct background checks under the nationwide program on a Statewide basis; and (iii) that submits an application to the Secretary containing such information and at such time as the Secretary may specify .
- Award procedure
This is not a competitive grant. All applying States that provide an application that is scored by the Federal technical panel at 70.2 out of the possible 101 points or greater shall receive a grant. Applications that score below 70.2 points will not be included as grantees. Funding for this program shall become effective upon CMS approval application. Grants will be awarded to every State that meets the qualifications and terms of agreement described in this solicitation. This includes providing a satisfactory application that meets all provisions of the Law and scores at least 70.2 points or greater (out of 101) from the Federal technical panel review. Grantees may expect to begin receiving funds within 30 days from the Notice of Grant Award.
- Deadlines
Final deadline to apply was December 30, 2017.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 31 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma State Department Of Health | $3,000,000 | 5% |
| 2 | Mississippi State Department Of Health | $3,000,000 | 5% |
| 3 | Minnesota Department Of Human Services | $3,000,000 | 5% |
| 4 | Florida Agency For Health Care Administration | $2,990,438 | 5% |
| 5 | Puerto Rico Department Of Health | $2,967,412 | 5% |
| 6 | District Of Columbia, Government Of | $2,931,308 | 5% |
| 7 | Senior People With Disabilities Service Oregon | $2,870,209 | 5% |
| 8 | Maine Department Of Health And Human Services | $2,821,875 | 5% |
| 9 | Department Of Health Utah | $2,767,931 | 5% |
| 10 | West Virginia Department Of Health And Human Resources | $2,706,547 | 5% |
10 of 31 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2023 | $280,940 |
| FY2022 | -$2,322,779 |
| FY2021 | $252,800 |
| FY2020 | -$1,896,138 |
| FY2019 | -$1,124,805 |
| FY2018 | $1,996,340 |
| FY2017 | -$2,616,078 |
| FY2016 | $1,017,304 |
| FY2015 | $5,922,465 |
| FY2013 | $12,255,910 |
| FY2012 | $6,493,756 |
| FY2011 | $24,446,503 |
| FY2010 | $13,751,575 |
Show all 13
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 93.506?
Assistance Listing 93.506 is ACA Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers, a federal grant program run by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Department of Health and Human Services).
What is the CFDA number for ACA Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers?
Its CFDA number is 93.506: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 93.506 awarded?
31 grant awards under 93.506 have obligated $58,457,793 in federal funds to 31 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 93.506?
The recipients obligated the most under ACA Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers are Oklahoma State Department Of Health ($3,000,000), Mississippi State Department Of Health ($3,000,000) and Minnesota Department Of Human Services ($3,000,000).
Are there open grant opportunities under 93.506?
No opportunity listed under 93.506 is open now. The latest, Nationwide Program for National and State Background Checks for Direct Patient Access Employees of Long Term Care Facilities and Providers - 9th Announcement, was posted on March 14, 2013.
On GovTribe
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