Accountable Health Communities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, last awarded a grant under Accountable Health Communities (CFDA 93.650) on July 31, 2019. This program funds community-based care coordination initiatives that systematically identify and address health-related social needs among Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries through screening, referral, and navigation services. Program activity has stalled significantly; only one award was disbursed in 2019, following a cohort of 32 awards in 2017. No recent grant opportunities have been posted.

The program funds multi-stakeholder consortia that establish systems to screen and refer community-dwelling beneficiaries for core social needs including housing, food insecurity, utilities, transportation, and domestic violence intervention. Recent awards demonstrate implementation across diverse geographies—rural Oregon counties, the Mississippi Delta, Baltimore, Denver, Connecticut, Texas, and Hawaii—often partnering with federally qualified health centers, hospitals, coordinated care organizations, and community service providers. Funded activities emphasize data-sharing platforms, navigator training, and measurement of impacts on healthcare utilization and cost. The Kentucky Consortium for Accountable Health Communities received $4.6 million; the Baltimore City Accountable Health Community received $5.4 million; and the Connecticut Coalition to Align Systems and Connect People with Services received $5.4 million.

The program is exclusively funded by CMS across three distinct funding entities, with combined federal obligations of $124.7 million. Funding is predominantly delivered as Cooperative Agreements (91 percent of awards, 30 total) with a smaller share of Formula Grants (9 percent, 3 awards). Average award magnitude from the 2017 cohort ranges between approximately $1.1 million and $5.4 million. Since the funding pipeline has been inactive for over seven years with no recent opportunities posted, pursuit of this program is not recommended absent evidence of new solicitations.