Affordable Care Act: Testing Experience and Functional Assessment Tools

To support State Medicaid agencies in testing, collecting, and reporting the Initial Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures for Adults Enrolled in Medicaid to CMS. Additionally, the grant funding will also support States' efforts to use thisthese data for improving the quality of care for adults covered by Medicaid.

Grant applicants are limited to the 51 State Medicaid Agencies and the Medicaid Agencies in the US Territories. .

Each participating State Medicaid grantee will be required to implement a grant project with the following three aims: 1. Testing and evaluating methods for collection and reporting of the Initial Core Set Measures in varying delivery care settings (e.g. managed care, fee-for-service, long term care settings such as nursing homes and intermediate care facilities). States are encouraged to demonstrate alignment with existing methods and infrastructures for collection and reporting [e.g., Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS)]; 2. Developing staff capacity to report the data, analyze, and use the data for monitoring and improving access and the quality of care in Medicaid; and 3. Conducting at least two Medicaid quality improvement projects related to the Initial Core Set Measures. States are encouraged to consider alignment with CMS or other Federal quality improvement activities such as the National Quality Strategy, Strong Start Initiative, Partnership for Patients, Million Hearts Initiative, etc. States may not use funds as the State's share of the Medicaid program costs or as supplemental Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments.

Grants agreements are funded on a 12-month basis, with support for the second year (final year) contingent upon acceptable evidence of satisfactory progress, continuing program relevance, and availability of funds. The maximum time period for funding is 24 months. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by letter. Applicants should review the award administration information of the funding opportunity announcement issued under this CFDA program for more information. .

Applicants must register on www.grants.gov in order to apply for this grant. Applicants are encouraged to register early as the registration process can take as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner. The standard application form SF-424 and related forms must be used for this program. Applicants must submit their applications electronically through http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are encouraged to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent to Apply. Letters of Intent to Apply are not required and a state's submission or failure to submit a letter has no bearing on the scoring of proposals received. Applicants should review the application and submission information in the funding opportunity announcement for specific instructions on applying for this grant program.

Refer to the Funding Opportunity Announcement for more information.

CMS will make a decision for each application received. Each applicant will receive written notification of CMS' decision. Applicants approved for a grant award must submit a letter of acceptance to CMS within 30 days of the date of award, agreeing to the terms and conditions of the award letter.

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

From 60 to 90 days.

Grantee can receive a second year of funding based on first year performance and progress towards meeting the grant project goals outlined in the application as well as in the terms and conditions.