HHS to Award $1 Billion For 'Innovative' Projects

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday made available $1 billion for innovative health care projects. The Health Care Innovation Challenge, funded by the federal health care reform law, aims to test "creative ways to deliver high-quality health care services and lower costs" to people in government health care programs, according to HHS. Priority will be given to sustainable projects that can get off the ground within six months and rapidly hire, train, and deploy "new types" of healthcare workers. Awards, which will be announced in March 2012, will range from approximately $1 million to $30 million for a three-year period. Applications are open to providers, payors, local governments, public-private partnerships, and multi-payor collaboratives. Each grantee project will be monitored for measurable improvements in quality of care and savings generated. The deadline to apply is January 27. For more information, read the Health Care Innovation Challenge announcement here: www.innovation.cms.gov For specific questions, send an email to InnovationChallenge@cms.hhs.gov