$1 Billion Funding Initiative May Help Fuel Integration of Prevention, Healthcare Delivery 

Last week, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will award up to $1 billion to fund the development of new models of healthcare delivery that improve quality and reduce the costs of treating people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

One of the four categories in the funding announcement is for new models of care that improve the health of communities and populations. For those of us who have been seeking to transform the healthcare system so it focuses on prevention and actually makes people healthier, this is welcome news and shows that our ideas have gained traction.

The funding announcement suggests that applicants in the population-health category may want to partner with non-medical, community-based organizations. It also suggests an interest in funding models that reduce the risk of chronic disease by increasing physical activity, improving nutrition and preventing injuries to the elderly due to falls. The grant program also presents some real challenges for those that apply—perhaps the biggest is that grantees will be expected to generate actual cost-savings within three years.

At Prevention Institute we’re interested in sharing our thinking and research about these issues and in learning from our colleagues as we work to advance health and wellness in our communities. In the sidebars of this alert we provide links to some of the research briefs we’ve put together. We’ll be sharing more ideas and research in the coming weeks.

This is an exciting opportunity and we are eager to be part of advancing it. We will be organizing a webinar in late June to discuss some of the core concepts involved in creating community-centered health systems. It will include PI staff members and practitioners from around the country who are working on these issues.  The date for our webinar is not yet set but if you’d like to be informed once it’s scheduled, send a note to Emily Warming. And stay tuned for more information.