Health Home for Children with Medically Complex Conditions

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through its Center for Medicare & CHIP Services, has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled “Health Home for Children with Medically Complex Conditions.” This planning grant, issued under Funding Opportunity Number CMS-3J3-23-001, is authorized by Section 1945A of the Social Security Act, part of the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019. The primary objective of the funding opportunity is to support states in developing a State Plan Amendment (SPA) that establishes a health home model specifically for Medicaid-eligible children with medically complex conditions. The initiative aims to improve care coordination, promote health information technology adoption, and provide high-quality, family-centered services for children with serious long-term disabilities or illnesses. CMS will award up to $100,000 per grantee for planning activities, with a total of $5,000,000 allocated for this opportunity, pending the availability of funds. The grant supports costs related to hiring personnel or contractors, conducting stakeholder outreach, developing reporting systems, training, infrastructure building, and implementation planning for the SPA. Grantees must contribute a state match amount equal to the standard Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), excluding the enhanced provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Fifty awards are anticipated, and the period of performance is 36 months from the award date. Applications are accepted quarterly on January 4, April 1, July 1, and October 1. The grant is open to a range of government, educational, tribal, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations as long as they are not already receiving federal funds for the same activity. Eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal governments, independent school districts, institutions of higher education (both public and private), public housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), and businesses including small and for-profit entities. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and have a valid EIN and UEI. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. Required components include a project abstract, standard forms (SF-424 series), a project narrative (up to 10 pages), a budget narrative (up to 5 pages), a business assessment, and relevant supporting documentation. Specific formatting rules must be followed, including font size, pagination, and document order. The evaluation criteria focus on four main areas: the project narrative (including planning activities and timelines), organizational capacity, project evaluation methods, and budget justification. Activities proposed in the narrative must clearly align with SPA development under Section 1945A and be sufficiently detailed to support implementation. Reviewers will assess the justification for expenditures and the applicant’s readiness to manage the grant. CMS provides technical assistance for prospective applicants through the Planning Grants mailbox (HHPlanningGrants@cms.hhs.gov) and additional online resources. Questions regarding budget and administration may be directed to Gabriel W. Nah, Jr. in the Office of Acquisition and Grants Management. All applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on the deadline date, with October 1, 2025, being the next quarterly submission due date. This opportunity is considered recurring, with expected future due dates falling quarterly on the same calendar days each year. CMS reserves the right to alter or cancel the funding opportunity at its discretion.