6/20/13 CMS announced that the extensions of deadlines for Letters of Intent and Applications for the Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Care Initiative. Applications are now due by August 1, 2013. CMS is also reopening the Letter of Intent period. Letters of Intent to Apply may be by submitted by July 19, 2013. The Letter of Intent is required in order to submit an application.

On February 4, 2013 CMS originally announced the Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Care Initiative, for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD to identify, test, and evaluate ways to improve health outcomes and reduce per capita Medicare expenditures. The initiative, authorized under §3021 and funded through the CMS Innovation Center, enhances care coordination of beneficiaries with ESRD and provides a more patient-centered experience that will improve health outcomes. CMS will test and evaluate a new payment model with groups of health care providers and suppliers, known ESRD Seamless Care Organizations (ESCOs) under this initiative. 

Eligible organizations (ESCOs) must include providers from dialysis facilities, nephrologists and other Medicare providers and suppliers experienced with providing care to members with ESRD. CMS expects that 10-15 ESCOs will participate and that each organization will serve at least 500 Medicare beneficiaries. CMS will use historical data to match beneficiaries with participating organizations with providers who are already providing care for members. Under the initiative, organizations will be financially and clinically responsible for all care provided to beneficiaries, not only services related to ESRD. Depending on the size of the dialysis facility, there are three payment tracks available to participating organizations. If an organization has a dialysis facility that is owned by a larger dialysis organization, it must participate in a risk-based payment arrangement. Other organizations will be eligible for the other payment tracks.

CMS will hold ESCOs financially accountable for providing quality care and improving the health outcomes of their beneficiaries. ESCOs will report on health outcome measures in the following five areas: preventative health, chronic disease management, care coordination and patient safety, patient and caregiver experience and patient quality of life.  

For more information, including updates on the initiative, please visit the CMS Innovation Center website at: CMS.Gov

Prevention Research Centers, §4002. Announced June 14, 2013. Funding is available to support Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers that: focus on the causes of diseases and disabilities with a focus on underserved and minority populations; increase the use of community-based participatory research; and research and disseminate effective public health programs at state and community levels. Only centers previously awarded a Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers grant are eligible to apply. Awardees will collaborate with researchers, representatives from state and local health departments, community members and other public health professionals. $14,476,850 in 37 awards is available for FY13.

Applications are due July 15, 2013.