Senior Medicare Patrol State Project Grants - Pennsylvania

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) State Project Grant for Pennsylvania, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Community Living (ACL), aims to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse by empowering Medicare beneficiaries through outreach, education, and one-on-one assistance. The SMP program is a critical component of the broader Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program, which coordinates federal, state, and local enforcement activities to reduce healthcare fraud. The SMP initiative began in response to the substantial losses identified by HHS-OIG and the Senate in the 1990s and has since evolved into a network of 54 state projects that reach millions of Medicare beneficiaries. This funding opportunity supports a two-year cooperative agreement with an award ceiling of $1,100,000 per 12-month budget period. It is designed to fund a single eligible organization to administer statewide SMP activities in Pennsylvania. The successful applicant will provide education and personalized support to Medicare beneficiaries, especially those with the greatest economic and social need. Activities will include outreach campaigns, community events, and assisting beneficiaries in identifying and resolving healthcare fraud issues. A strong emphasis is placed on working with underserved communities and tailoring outreach strategies to address specific barriers to access. Eligible applicants include a wide range of domestic public and private nonprofit entities, such as state and local governments, tribal entities, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. While cost sharing or matching is not required, applicants may propose voluntary contributions of non-federal resources. The awardee will be responsible for tracking and reporting program performance using the SMP Information and Reporting System (SIRS), as well as participating in national evaluation efforts, including client satisfaction surveys and performance outcome tracking related to fraud prevention and education efforts. The application process includes several technical requirements. Applicants must submit their full application package electronically via Grants.gov by April 13, 2026. A letter of intent, though not required, is requested by March 3, 2026, to assist ACL in planning the review process. The application must include a project narrative not exceeding 20 pages, a detailed budget narrative for the first year, a project work plan, and letters of commitment from key partners. Applicants must also ensure registration in SAM.gov and maintain active status throughout the application and grant period. Evaluation criteria emphasize alignment with the SMP strategic program objectives: delivering education and assistance statewide; recruiting and managing a diverse and trained workforce; implementing robust monitoring and quality assurance measures; and maintaining flexibility to adapt to shifting fraud trends or demographic changes. Applications will be scored on relevance and need, approach, budget clarity, project impact, and organizational capacity. Specific performance measures, such as numbers of outreach events, team member hours, individual interactions, and potential Medicare/Medicaid recoveries, will be used to assess progress. The anticipated award start date is June 1, 2026. All program activities must conform to federal administrative requirements, including applicable civil rights and anti-discrimination provisions. The contact for program-related questions is Rebecca Kinney, reachable via email at [email protected] or phone at 202-795-7375. The grant opportunity is cataloged under CFDA number 93.048, with the funding opportunity number HHS-2026-ACL-CIP-MPPG-0020.

Address all SMP strategic objectives clearly; match metrics to ACL performance indicators; project narrative must not exceed 20 pages.