Section 206 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024: State Planning Grants to Promote Continuity of Care for Medicaid and CHIP Beneficiaries Following Incarceration

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS), is offering the State Planning Grants to Promote Continuity of Care for Medicaid and CHIP Beneficiaries Following Incarceration under Opportunity Number CMS-2T2-25-001. This funding opportunity is designed to assist state Medicaid and CHIP agencies in developing operational capabilities to ensure continuity of care for individuals who are incarcerated and eligible for Medicaid or CHIP services. The program supports compliance with recent legislative requirements, including provisions under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023 and 2024, which mandate states to provide certain medical services to eligible juveniles before and after release and prohibit termination of Medicaid and CHIP coverage during incarceration. Eligible applicants include state Medicaid agencies and state CHIP agencies in all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. If Medicaid and CHIP are administered separately within a state, the agencies must submit a single joint application with a letter of agreement outlining collaboration. Tribal organizations may also participate but must do so in coordination with the state's Medicaid and CHIP agency. Each state is eligible for only one award under this funding opportunity. Applications will be accepted in two cohorts, with deadlines on November 26, 2024, and April 18, 2025. The total expected funding for this grant program is $106,500,000, distributed over a four-year performance period. Individual awards will range between $1 million and $5 million, with up to 56 awards anticipated. CMS will issue cooperative agreements, meaning recipients will work closely with CMS throughout the project. The grant funds may be used for activities such as identifying operational gaps, developing automated systems for Medicaid and CHIP enrollment upon release, creating data-sharing mechanisms between public institutions and state Medicaid/CHIP agencies, and establishing oversight and monitoring processes. However, funds cannot be used for direct healthcare services, building prisons or jails, or lobbying activities. Applications must include a project abstract, project narrative, budget narrative, work plan, and additional supporting documents. Key evaluation criteria include organizational capacity, project feasibility, work plan robustness, and budget justification. The selection process will consider merit review scores, risk assessments, geographic distribution, and overall program impact. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and all applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration. CMS will host one informational webinar before each application deadline to assist applicants. Interested parties are encouraged to submit an optional Notice of Intent to apply. For programmatic inquiries, applicants may contact Dr. Effie George at [email protected] or 410-767-8639. For budget-related questions, contact Kevin Hornbeak at [email protected]. Award notifications will be issued by February 15, 2025, for Cohort 1 and July 15, 2025, for Cohort 2, with project start dates set for March 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025, respectively.