Grants and Demonstrations
The ACA provides funding opportunities to transform how health care is delivered, expand access to care and support healthcare workforce training.
Grant Activity
September 19, 2012 the Department of Public Health (DPH) was awarded $900,000 from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for an Immunization Capacity Building Assistance to Strengthen Public Health Immunization Infrastructure and Performance grant under §4002 of the ACA. Funding is available for projects that improve the efficiency, effectiveness and/or quality of immunization infrastructure and performance.
DPH submitted an application to improve vaccine management, storage and handling at the provider level. DPH will use the grant funds to assist providers in improving the storage and monitoring of childhood immunizations.
The project narrative can be viewed on our website under the Grants and Demonstrations section at: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/eohhs/healthcare-reform/grants/120627-sec-4002-project-narrative.pdf
September 21, 2012 the Department of Public Health was awarded $136,246 from the CDC for a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Supplement grant under §4002 of the ACA. Funding is available to current grantees to measure the public health impact of health behaviors that affect or contribute to chronic diseases through surveillance, assessment and evaluation efforts. Supplemental funding will allow the addition of key questions to the 2013 CDC BRFSS survey questionnaire which will allow precise estimates from participating states and territories and many localities (counties, cities, etc).
DPH will use the funds to measure the impact of health care reform on underserved populations such as young males, Hispanics, Blacks and non-English speakers.
The project narrative can be viewed on our website under the Grants and Demonstrations section at: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/eohhs/healthcare-reform/grants/120727-brfss-supplement-agency.pdf
September 11, 2012 the Executive Office of Elder Affairs was awarded $700,000 from CMS/ the Administration for Community Living for an Enhanced Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) Options Counseling Program grant under §2405 of the ACA. Funds will allow states to develop ADRCs that can serve as a national model for providing long term services and supports options counseling to state residents with these needs. The purpose of this grant is to fund states to develop and implement financially sustainable models that will serve people of all ages, disabilities and income levels. Massachusetts currently has two of the five grant required functions in place: a statewide network of ADRCs providing access to long term services and supports and a statewide Options Counseling program to help consumers make decisions regarding long term services and supports.
The Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Office of Disability Policy and Programs will use the funds to put in place the remaining key functions and make them available statewide: Streamlined access to public programs; person-centered transition support to help consumers avoid re-hospitalization; and quality assurance. To build capacity to fully implement these functions, the grantee will partner with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and other state agencies to develop strategies for outreach and cross training. This will help the ADRCs serve as a more visible resource for underserved populations, with a special focus on veterans, people with serious mental illness and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This funding opportunity also offers significant direction and support to the ADRCs to develop a self-sustaining system of reimbursement from the Veterans Health Administration, Medicaid-funded programs and, eventually, private payers. This project has strong potential to establish the ADRCs as an integral and enduring component of the aging and disability services delivery system in Massachusetts.
Pending availability of federal funding in 2013 and 2014, additional funding will be available to continue this project through August 2015.
The project narrative can be viewed on our website under the Grants and Demonstrations section at: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/eohhs/healthcare-reform/grants/120725-adrc-options-counseling-narrative.pdf
News
10/12/12 CMS announced that one new Consumer Oriented and Operated Plan (CO-OP) repayable loan will be awarded to a non-profit entity to help establish private non-profit, consumer-governed health insurance companies that offer qualified health plans in the health insurance exchanges. Established under §1322 of the ACA, the goal of the CO-OP program is to create a new CO-OP in every state in order to expand the number of exchange health plans with a focus on integrated care and plan accountability.
The non-profit receiving a loan is: Coordinated Health Plans of Ohio, Inc., (CHP-OH), a CO-OP that received a $129,225,604 loan to develop healthcare delivery networks and systems to improve primary care. CHP-OH plans to offer health insurance that delivers high quality health care in the state of Ohio.
Starting in 2014, CO-OPs will be able to offer plans both inside and outside of health insurance exchanges and will operate in 23 states, including: Ohio, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Colorado, Utah, Kentucky, Vermont, Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Nevada, Maine, South Carolina, Oregon, New Mexico, Montana, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and New York. CMS awarded the first round of CO-OP loans on February 21, 2012. To date, a total of $1,820,573,884 has been awarded.
CMS will continue to review applications on a quarterly schedule through December 31, 2012 and announce additional awardees on a rolling basis. According to CMS, CO-OP loans are only made to private, nonprofit entities that demonstrate a high probability of financial viability.
For more information, including a list of previous CO-OP loans awarded, visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2012/02/coops02212012a.html
Upcoming Events
Integrating Medicare and Medicaid for Dual Eligible Individuals Open Meeting
November 2, 2012, 2:00 AM - 4:00 PM
State Transportation Building, Conference Rooms 1, 2, & 3, Second Floor
10 Park Plaza
Boston, MA
The purpose of this meeting is to continue discussion on key implementation topics for the Duals Demonstration.
We welcome attendance from all stakeholders and members of the public with interest in the Demonstration. Reasonable accommodations will be made for participants who need assistance. Please send your request for accommodations to Donna Kymalainen at Donna.Kymalainen@state.ma.us.
Money Follows the Person (MFP) Working Group Meeting
November 28, 2012, 2:00 PM -3:30 PM
State Transportation Building
10 Park Plaza
Boston, MA
Please contact MFP@state.ma.us if you would like to attend the meetings.
Requests for reasonable accommodations should be sent to MFP@state.ma.us. Although an RSVP is not required, it is appreciated.
An MFP 101 introductory session will also be held at the State Transportation Building on November 28, 2012 from 1:30 PM-2:00 PM for those not familiar with MFP.
