The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a grant opportunity titled "States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model". This opportunity is part of the Affordable Care Act and falls under the category of Discretionary funding. The grant is a Cooperative Agreement and does not require cost sharing or matching.

The AHEAD Model is a voluntary, state-based alternative payment and service delivery model aimed at curbing healthcare cost growth, improving population health, and advancing health equity by reducing disparities in health outcomes. It will operate for 11 years, from 2024 to 2034.

State Medicaid agencies, state public health agencies, and other state agencies are eligible to apply on behalf of their states. The eligible applicants are all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories that have at least 10,000 resident Medicare FFS beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B residing in the state or sub-state region.

The AHEAD Model will include statewide or sub-state accountability targets for all-payer and Medicare fee-for-service cost growth, primary care investment, and equity and population health outcomes. Each award recipient will receive up to $12 million in Cooperative Agreement funding over the course of up to six years. The funding will support planning and implementation activities, Medicare fee-for-service and Medicaid hospital global budgets for participating hospitals, and a primary care program for participating primary care practices.

Applicants must select one of three Cohorts to participate in based on their stage of readiness to implement the Model. CMS will select up to eight award recipients through a competitive process. The close date for Cohort 3 is August 12, 2024, at 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

For more information and to apply, visit the AHEAD Model website at https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/ahead. If you have any questions, you can contact the grantor at AHEAD@cms.hhs.gov.