Expanding Access to Women’s Health Grant

The Expanding Access to Women's Health Grant Program will provide a funding source to States for activities related to planning and implementing the market reforms and consumer protections under the below-listed provisions of Part A of Title XXVII of

The Expanding Access to Women's Health Grant Program will provide a funding source to States for activities that enhance and expand access to reproductive health and maternal health coverage and services through implementing the market reforms and consumer protections under the below-listed provisions of Part A of Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). I. Section 2707 - Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage (Essential Health Benefits Package) II. Section 2713 - Coverage of Preventive Health Services These pre-selected market reforms and consumer protections under Part A of Title XXVII of the PHS Act were selected because of their connection to reproductive health and maternal health coverage and services and the anticipated positive impact that providing this funding will have on expanding access to these coverages and services for women in their State.

This Funding Opportunity is open to all fifty States and the District of Columbia. Only one application per State is permitted, except for a State in which there is more than one regulating entity responsible for implementation and enforcement of the two pre-selected market reforms and consumer protections identified below under Part A of Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act): I. Section 2707 - Comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage (Essential Health Benefits Package) II. Section 2713 - Coverage of Preventive Health Services In the case of more than one regulating entity, the State is eligible to submit multiple applications, but will be required to split the total grant award allocated for that State. The State regulatory agencies involved must collaborate with each other regarding a proposed budget. Also, each State regulatory agency will be viewed as a distinct recipient responsible for submitting separate programmatic and financial reports. All awards are subject to funding availability.

Applicants may use grant funds for planning and implementation of a variety of objectives related to expanding coverage of, and access to, reproductive health and maternal health coverage and services through the market reforms and consumer protections under the pre-selected provisions under Part A of Title XXVII of the PHS Act, including but not limited to developing campaigns to educate women on what reproductive health care options are available in the State to support a woman's ability to make safe and informed decisions regarding her reproductive health and provide women with more flexibility regarding family planning, expanding access to reproductive health and family planning services, assessing and updating current Essential Health Benefits (EHB) benchmark plans to include broader scope of benefits coverage for reproductive and maternal health services, and assessing the cost of broadening plan coverage of reproductive health care services in the State. In the case of more than one regulating entity, the State is eligible to submit multiple applications, but will be required to split the total grant award allocated for that State. The regulatory agencies involved must collaborate with each other regarding a proposed budget. Also, each State regulatory agency will be viewed as a distinct recipient responsible for submitting separate programmatic and financial reports. All awards are subject to funding availability.

The following activities are not allowable unless an exception is specifically authorized by statute or stated otherwise in the Notice of Funding Opportunity: • Pre-award costs. • Matching any other Federal funds or local entities. • Services, equipment, or supports that are the legal responsibility of another party under Federal, State, or Tribal law (e.g., vocational rehabilitation or education services) or under any civil rights laws. Such legal responsibilities include, but are not limited to, modifications of a workplace or other reasonable accommodations that are a specific obligation of the employer or other party. • Goods or services not allocable to the approved project. • Supplanting existing State, local, Tribal or private funding of infrastructure or services, such as staff salaries, etc. • Construction. • Capital expenditures for improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their value or useful life as a direct cost, except with the prior written approval of the Federal awarding agency. • The cost of independent research and development, including their proportionate share of indirect costs (unallowable in accordance with 45 CFR 75.476). • Funds related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or Executive Order proposed or pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature or local legislature or legislative body. • Certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment. See 2 CFR 200.216 to make sure this does to apply to any proposed equipment in your application. • Meals unless in limited circumstances such as: o Subjects and patients under study; o Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity (not grantee specific), e.g., in programs providing children's services; and o As part of a per diem or subsistence allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel. • Funds cannot be used to fund the provision of healthcare, including reproductive and maternal healthcare.

The following activities are not allowable unless an exception is specifically authorized by statute or stated otherwise in the Notice of Funding Opportunity: • Pre-award costs. • Matching any other Federal funds or local entities. • Services, equipment, or supports that are the legal responsibility of another party under Federal, State, or Tribal law (e.g., vocational rehabilitation or education services) or under any civil rights laws. Such legal responsibilities include, but are not limited to, modifications of a workplace or other reasonable accommodations that are a specific obligation of the employer or other party. • Goods or services not allocable to the approved project. • Supplanting existing State, local, Tribal or private funding of infrastructure or services, such as staff salaries, etc. • Construction. • Capital expenditures for improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their value or useful life as a direct cost, except with the prior written approval of the Federal awarding agency. • The cost of independent research and development, including their proportionate share of indirect costs (unallowable in accordance with 45 CFR 75.476). • Funds related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or Executive Order proposed or pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature or local legislature or legislative body. • Certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment. See 2 CFR 200.216 to make sure this does to apply to any proposed equipment in your application. • Meals unless in limited circumstances such as: o Subjects and patients under study; o Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity (not grantee specific), e.g., in programs providing children's services; and o As part of a per diem or subsistence allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel. • Funds cannot be used to fund the provision of healthcare, including reproductive and maternal healthcare.

Grant funding for this Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement will be available from September 20, 2024 - September 19, 2026.

Please refer to Appendix V. Review and Selection Process for more information on the review and selection process.

All qualified applications will be forwarded to a merit review committee. Based on the advice of the merit review committee, the CMS program official with delegated authority is responsible for final selection and funding decisions. Notification is made in writing by a Grant Award signed by a Grants Management Officer.

For the Expanding Access to Women's Health Grant Program a Letter of Intent is mandatory and must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time on June 17, 2024. All grant applications must be submitted electronically and be received through http://www.grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time on July 15, 2024.