National Center for Benefits Outreach Enrollment

The Administration for Community Living (ACL), through its Center for Innovation and Partnership, has released a funding opportunity under the cooperative agreement titled "National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment" (Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2025-ACL-CIP-MINC-0022). This opportunity is authorized under 42 U.S.C. 1395b-3 note and administered in alignment with the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008. The grant aims to increase healthcare access and support chronic disease prevention among Medicare enrollees, particularly older adults with limited income and resources. The cooperative agreement will provide funding of up to $15,000,000 annually for a three-year period, contingent upon the availability of federal funds. One award is anticipated. The Center's role, as defined by statute, includes maintaining web-based decision support and enrollment tools, implementing cost-effective strategies to reach economically vulnerable older adults, supporting Aging and Disability Resource Centers and other community organizations as benefits enrollment centers, maintaining a clearinghouse of best practices, and offering technical assistance in collaboration with federal agency partners. The Center supports entities such as State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers/No Wrong Door Systems (ADRC/NWDs), and tribal organizations. The Center also serves as the MIPPA resource center for these grantees. The grant requires the applicant to demonstrate their capacity to manage and enhance tools that provide real-time, customized benefits information to Medicare enrollees. These tools must be accessible to the public and the broader aging and disability network. Applicants must provide a plan with a clear timeline for development, training, outreach, and integration with state networks. Further requirements include supporting a network of Benefits Enrollment Centers, developing public-facing clearinghouses of best practices, and collaborating with partners such as CMS, SHIP TA Center, and the Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center. Eligible applicants include domestic public or private non-profit entities such as state and local governments, tribal governments and organizations, higher education institutions, hospitals, faith-based organizations, and community-based organizations. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for this opportunity. However, any voluntary commitment of non-federal resources that is accepted by ACL will become binding. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov no later than July 30, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Letters of Intent are encouraged and should be submitted by July 10, 2025, to Margaret Flowers at margaret.flowers@acl.hhs.gov. All applicants must have an active SAM registration and a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The project start date is anticipated to be September 1, 2025. Applications will be evaluated based on five criteria: project relevance and need, proposed approach, project impact, organizational capacity, and budget. Specific instructions are provided for submitting the project narrative, budget justification, and supporting documentation. The applicant's technical capability, prior experience, proposed outcomes, and collaboration plans will play a major role in the scoring process. Technical assistance and questions should be directed to Maggie Flowers at the Office of Healthcare and Information Counseling via phone at (202) 795-7315.

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