The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled a new funding opportunity titled “States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model,” under the number CMS-4S4-24-001. This ambitious program, part of the Affordable Care Act category, aims to revolutionize state-based healthcare systems by focusing on equity, cost control, and improved health outcomes. With an estimated total funding of $96,000,000 and a ceiling of $12,000,000 per award, the initiative is set to make a significant impact in the healthcare sector. The AHEAD Model offers a unique opportunity for state Medicaid agencies, public health agencies, and other state agencies to apply for cooperative agreement funding, enabling them to implement innovative, state-specific strategies to address healthcare disparities and enhance overall population health.
The AHEAD Model is designed as an 11-year program, from 2024 to 2034, and will involve up to eight award recipients. This model tests a flexible framework that includes statewide or sub-state accountability targets for all-payer and Medicare fee-for-service cost growth, primary care investment, and equity and population health outcomes. A key aspect of the AHEAD Model is its focus on reducing disparities in health outcomes, a crucial step towards achieving health equity. The program will support planning and implementation activities, establish Medicare fee-for-service and Medicaid hospital global budgets for participating hospitals, and develop a primary care program for participating practices. With application deadlines set for March 18 and August 12, 2024, for different cohorts, state agencies are encouraged to take part in this transformative model, which promises to be a game-changer in advancing health equity and improving healthcare systems at the state level.
Opportunity ID: 349644
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | CMS-4S4-24-001 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Cooperative Agreement |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Affordable Care Act |
| Category Explanation: | |
| Expected Number of Awards: | 8 |
| CFDA Number(s): | 93.968 — States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | No |
| Version: | Synopsis 1 |
| Posted Date: | Nov 16, 2023 |
| Last Updated Date: | Nov 16, 2023 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Mar 18, 2024 Cohorts 1 and 2: March 18, 2024, 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Cohort 3: August 12, 2024, by 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Mar 18, 2024 Cohorts 1 and 2: March 18, 2024, 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time Cohort 3: August 12, 2024, by 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time |
| Archive Date: | |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | $ 96,000,000 |
| Award Ceiling: | $12,000,000 |
| Award Floor: | $0 |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | State governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Eligible applicants are state agencies (e.g., SMA, state public health agency, state insurance agency or other entity with rate-setting or budget authority) with the authority and capacity to accept the Cooperative Agreement award funding. Agencies may apply as a joint application on behalf of several state agencies, however, only one agency can accept the Cooperative Agreement and serve as the award recipient. The SMA must be included as a subrecipient of the Cooperative Agreement if it is not the award recipient. Eligible applicants are all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories that have at least 10,000 resident Medicare FFS beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B residing in the state or sub-state region based on the most recent data available from CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment data. U.S. territories include American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Applicants may select to participate at the state level or designate a sub-state region, subject to CMS approval during the application review. Award recipients may have the ability to expand the sub-state region during the Pre-Implementation Period subject to approval by CMS. Approval of such requests are not guaranteed. States in which Making Care Primary Model (MCP) is operating on a statewide basis may not participate in AHEAD. If MCP is operating in a sub-state region of a state, that state would be eligible to apply to participate in AHEAD in a different sub-state region with no geographic overlap. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
| Description: | This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is announcing the opportunity to apply to participate in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (referred to as “AHEAD” or the “AHEAD Model”), including availability of Cooperative Agreement funding of up to $12 million per award recipient. State Medicaid agencies, state public health agencies, and other state agencies may apply to participate in AHEAD on behalf of their states.
The AHEAD Model is a voluntary, state-based alternative payment and service delivery model designed to curb health care cost growth, improve population health, and advance health equity by reducing disparities in health outcomes. The AHEAD Model will test a flexible framework that includes statewide or sub-state accountability targets for all-payer and Medicare fee-for-service cost growth, primary care investment, and equity and population health outcomes. The Model will include specific components to help each award recipient to achieve these goals, including an initial investment via the Cooperative Agreement award to support planning and implementation activities, Medicare fee-for-service and Medicaid hospital global budgets for participating hospitals, and a primary care program for participating primary care practices. The AHEAD Model will operate for 11 years (2024-2034). Applicants must select one of three Cohorts to participate in based on their stage of readiness to implement the Model. CMS will select, via a competitive process, up to eight award recipients. Up to $12 million in Cooperative Agreement award funding will be available to each selected award recipient over the course of up to six years. The Model will conclude for all Cohorts on December 31, 2034. |
| Link to Additional Information: | AHEAD Model website |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: AHEAD@cms.hhs.gov
|