Funds Available through HHS Health Care Innovation Challenge
Funding Opportunity:
This week, it was announced that up to $1 billion will be awarded to innovative projects across the country that test creative ways to deliver high-quality medical care and save money. Launched today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and funded by the Affordable Care Act, the Health Care Innovation Challenge will also give preference to projects that rapidly hire, train, and deploy health care workers.
The Health Care Innovation Challenge will award grants in March 2012 to applicants who will implement the most compelling new ideas to deliver better health, improved care, and lower costs to people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, particularly those with the highest health care needs. The Challenge will support projects that can begin within 6 months. In addition, projects that focus on rapid workforce development will be given priority when grants are awarded.
The intent of this initiative is to engage a wide variety of innovators. Interested parties of all types who have developed innovations that will meet the initiative's goals of improving care, lowering costs, and creating health care jobs are welcome to apply.
In addition, proposals are encouraged to focus on high cost/high-risk groups including those populations with multiple chronic diseases and/or mental health or substance abuse issues, poor health status due to socio-economic and environmental factors, multiple medical conditions, high cost individuals, or the frail elderly.
The full funding announcement and a fact sheet summarizing key points are available on the CMS website.
A letter of intent to apply is due December 19, 2011, and applications are due January 27, 2012.