2011-9126. Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions Program

AGENCY:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice informs interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Community-based Care Transitions Program, which was authorized by section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act.

DATES:

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. Acceptable applicants will be awarded on an ongoing basis as funds permit.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Juliana Tiongson, [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail].

ADDRESSES:

Proposals should be mailed to the following address:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Attention: Juliana Tiongson, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop: C4-14-15, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

Section 3026 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148, enacted on March 23, 2010) (Affordable Care Act) authorized the Medicare Community-based Care Transitions Program (CCTP). The goals of the CCTP are to improve the quality of care transitions, reduce readmissions for high risk Medicare beneficiaries, and document measurable savings to the Medicare program by reducing unnecessary readmissions. The CCTP is part of Partnership for Patients, a national patient safety initiative through which the Administration is supporting broad-based efforts to reduce harm caused to patients in hospitals and improve care transitions.

II. Criteria for Applicants

We are seeking eligible organizations which are a subsection (d) hospital, as defined in section 1886(d)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act), with high readmission rates that partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) or CBOs that provide care transition services. CBOs are defined as community-based organizations that provide care transition services across the continuum of care through arrangements with subsection (d) hospitals and whose governing bodies include sufficient representation of multiple health care stakeholders, including consumers.

This program creates a source of funding for care transition services that effectively manage transitions from acute to community-based settings and report specified process and outcome measures on their results. CBOs will be paid on a per eligible discharge basis for eligible Medicare beneficiaries at high risk for readmission, including those with multiple chronic conditions, depression, or cognitive impairments.

In selecting CBOs to participate in the program, preference will be given to eligible entities that are Administration on Aging (AoA) grantees that provide concurrent care transition interventions with multiple hospitals and practitioners or entities that provide services to medically-underserved populations, small communities, and rural areas. The program will run for 5 years beginning April 11, 2011; however, participants will be awarded 2-year agreements that may be extended on an annual basis for the remaining 3 years based on performance.

Applicants must identify root causes of readmissions and define their target population and strategies for identifying high risk patients. Applicants must also specify care transition interventions including strategies for improving provider communications in care transitions and improving patient activation. Lastly, applicants will be required to provide a budget including a per eligible discharge rate for care transition services, provide an implementation plan with milestones, and demonstrate prior experience with effectively managing care transition services and reducing readmissions.

A competitive process will be used to select eligible organizations. We will accept proposals on a rolling basis. The program will continue through 2015.

For specific details regarding the CCTP and the application process, please refer to the solicitation on the CMS Web site at http://www.cms.gov/​DemoProjectsEvalRpts/​MD/​itemdetail.asp?​itemID=​CMS1239313.

III. Application Information

Please refer to file code [CMS-5055-N2] on the application. Proposals (an unbound original and 3 copies plus an electronic copy on CD-ROM) must be typed for clarity and should not exceed 30 double-spaced pages, exclusive of cover letter, the executive summary, resumes, forms, and supporting documentation. Because of staffing and resource limitations, we cannot accept proposals by facsimile (FAX) transmission. Applicants may, but are not required to, submit a total of 10 copies to assure that each reviewer receive a proposal in the manner intended by the applicant (for example, collated, tabulated color copies). Hard copies and electronic copies must be identical.

IV. Eligible Organizations

As discussed above, subsection (d) hospitals with high readmission rates that partner with CBOs or CBOs that provide care transition services are eligible to participate in the CCTP. We anticipate that a wide variety of interested parties may be eligible to form a CBO in order to apply in collaboration with other organizations to perform the responsibilities specified. CBOs may be characterized as physician practices, particularly primary care practices, a corporate entity that has a separate quality improvement organization (QIO) contract with CMS under Part B of title XI of the Act, in situations that will not result in or create the appearance of a conflict of interest between the QIO's review tasks under title XI and the corporate entity's role as a CBO, an Aging and Disability Resource Center, Area Agency on Aging, or other appropriate organization that meets the statutory definition at section 3026(b)(1)(B) of the Act.

Authority: Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 93.773, Medicare—Hospital Insurance; and Program No. 93.774, Medicare—Supplementary Medical Insurance Program.

Dated: December 27, 2010.

Donald M. Berwick,

Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.