CMS Announces New Initiative to Improve Care for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees and Reduce Costly and Avoidable Hospitalizations

 New Opportunity for Better Care for Nursing Facility Residents through Enhanced Coordination Efforts

CMS Announces New Initiative to Improve Care for Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees and Reduce Costly and Avoidable Hospitalizations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents, a new effort designed to improve care for people living in nursing facilities who are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. The initiative aims to reduce costly and avoidable hospitalizations among nursing facility residents by funding organizations that would partner with nursing facilities to provide enhanced on-site services and supports to nursing facility residents.  CMS commits up to $128 million to support a diverse portfolio of these evidence-based interventions.

CMS will support organizations that will partner with nursing facilities to implement evidence-based interventions to improve the quality and costs of care. The initiative is focused on long-stay nursing facility residents who are enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, with the goal of reducing avoidable inpatient hospitalizations.

CMS issued a Request for Applications today and organizations interested in participating in this initiative must submit an application by June 14, 2012. More information about this initiative, including the Request for Applications, is available at: http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/rahnfr, or by searching for CFDA 93.621 at: www.grants.gov.