Sunday, May 16, 2010

CMS Issues Notice on CMI

CMS is seeking 8(a) and small businesses with the capabilities and expertise to design, plan, organize, and develop the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMI) within CMS. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 provides for the establishment of the Center by January 1 2011.

CMI is being established to test innovative payment and service delivery models that will help reduce Medicare and Medicaid program expenditures while preserving quality of care. The plan is for CMI to be the research and development arm for CMS.

CMI will identify problem areas in healthcare delivery and then identify and test new models to improve program performance. Once the problem areas or new models are identified, CMI will search and/or elicit knowledge on how to gain a more thorough understanding of the new model and then provide the background information needed to develop new program initiatives. CMI will also be pursuing basic research objectives and designing new research demonstrations, in consultation with relevant federal agencies, clinical, and analytical experts.

Another role for CMI is to design implement and evaluate Medicare and Medicaid demonstrations and pilot programs that will be put in place to test the feasibility, cost effectiveness, and quality outcomes of new healthcare delivery models.

CMI will oversee the spending of funds through a large number of contractual and provider arrangements and will provide fiscal oversight to make certain that the tasks and projects are completed as contracted.

Another role for CMI is to promote research and demonstration transparency by disseminating findings from literature reviews, basic research, and program evaluations. This information will be used to inform law makers and interested parties on healthcare delivery issues, new innovative concepts, demonstrations, and pilot programs.

This published notice is not a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstract, or quotation, but only issued by CMS to obtain information on the availability and capability of qualified sources. The notice published on May 14th requires all responses to be in by June 1, 2010.

For more information on solicitation (HHS-CMS-DRCG-SS-10-002), go to www.fbo.gov or contact Joseph M. Feibel, Contract Specialist at joseph.feibel@cms.hhs.gov or call (410) 786-8261.