[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39438-39443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-16844]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Evaluating Early Access
to Medicaid as a Reentry Strategy
AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Administration
Division is seeking applications for the development, implementation,
and evaluation of a project to assess the effects of access to Medicaid
at the time of release from incarceration on reentry outcomes,
including health care utilization, employment success, and recidivism.
The recipient of the award will work in a partnership with the selected
state's prisons, jails, and Medicaid agency to implement and evaluate
the project. This project will be conducted over a 36-month period.
This cooperative agreement is a collaborative project between the
National Institute of Corrections and the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), U.S. Department of Health
of Human Services (HHS).
To be considered, applicants must demonstrate at a minimum (1) In-
depth knowledge of the criminal justice and healthcare fields, (2)
experience working with local jails, state prisons, and state Medicaid
agencies, (3) the capacity to engage local jails, state prisons, and
state Medicaid agencies participation in this project, and (4) the
experience and organizational capacity to carry out the goals of this
project.
DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on August 11,
2011.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street NW., Room 5002, Washington,
DC 20534. Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or
similar service to ensure delivery by the due date as mail at NIC is
sometimes delayed due to security screening.
Hand-delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front desk, dial (202) 307-3106,
extension 0 for pickup.
Faxed and e-mailed applications will not be accepted; however,
electronic applications can be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement and links
to the required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web
site at http://www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements.
All technical or programmatic questions concerning this
announcement should be directed to CDR Anita E. Pollard, Corrections
Health Manager, National Institute of Corrections. CDR Pollard can be
reached by e-mail at [email protected]. In addition to the direct reply,
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at http://www.nicic.gov for public review. (The names of those submitting
questions will not be posted.) The Web site will be updated regularly
and postings will remain on the Web site until the closing date of this
cooperative agreement solicitation. Only questions received by 12 p.m.
(EDT) on August 2, 2011 will be answered.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: The reentry period is associated with increased risk of
re-arrest, medical problems, and death. Many individuals reenter the
community with significant health problems, yet few have access to any
public or private health insurance upon
[[Page 39439]]
release from incarceration. (S. E. Wakeman, M. E. McKinney, and J. D.
Rich. (2009). ``Filling the Gap: The Importance of Medicaid Continuity
for Former Inmates.'' Journal of General Internal Medicine 24 (7): 860-
62.) NIC is seeking solicitations for a project that will develop a
replicable process for including enrollment in Medicaid as part of
reentry programming in prisons and jails. The project will also
evaluate whether timely access to healthcare contributes to increased
positive integration into the community after release by measuring
changes in healthcare utilization, employment, and recidivism using
random assignment or other rigorous statistical techniques for
measuring impacts. The focus population consists of incarcerated
individuals who are returning to the community and who are reasonably
expected to be eligible upon release for federal or state funded
Medicaid services under a variety of special state Medicaid provisions.
The project's activities will also inform the design of Medicaid
enrollment strategies for this low-income, childless adult population
expected to be included in the 2014 Medicaid coverage expansion under
the Affordable Care Act.
Background: A large share of the individuals who cycle through
America's jails and prisons are poor, minority, and male. At the end of
2009, 93 percent of state and Federal prison inmates were male and
black males had an imprisonment rate (3,119 per 100,000 U.S. residents)
that was more than 6 times higher than white males (487 per 100,000),
and almost 3 times higher than Hispanic males (1,193 per 100,000). (R.
H. Lamb and L. E. Weinberger, ``Persons with Severe Mental Illness in
Jails and Prisons: A Review,'' Psychiatric Services 49 (April
1998):483-92.) Rates of mental illness, substance use and abuse,
infectious disease, and chronic health problems are higher among jail
and prison inmates than for the general U.S. population. Results of
several studies of jail and prison populations suggest that rates are
three to seven times higher for incarcerated individuals compared to
the general population, depending on the condition. One study of
reentering individuals found that nearly four in 10 men and six in 10
women have a combination of physical health, mental health, and
substance abuse conditions. Not only do these conditions pose health
risks, but they can contribute to criminal behavior if untreated or
inadequately treated during incarceration and following release.
Individuals reentering society after incarceration often encounter
a number of barriers. Research suggests that helping to ensure that
reentering individuals can meet their basic needs can lead to better
outcomes for those individuals, including lower rates of recidivism.
Severe or unmanaged health problems increase the risk of adverse
outcomes, i.e. physical illness, relapse, etc. Reentering individuals
with health problems report more problems finding employment and
physical and mental health conditions often interfere with their
ability to work. Among the general reentering population, employment is
shown to reduce one's odds of returning to jail or prison. However,
returning offenders with debilitating health conditions have reentry
experiences that vary greatly from the average reentering individual.
Successful treatment of reentering individuals' health conditions could
increase rates of reentry success by improving their ability to work,
support themselves, and abstain from substance use, all of which have
been shown to contribute to decreased recidivism. (K. Mallik-Kane and
C. Visher, Health and Prisoner Reentry: How Physical, Mental, and
Substance Abuse Conditions Shape to Process of Reintegration,
Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2008).
Jails and prisons are responsible for providing medical care while
individuals are incarcerated, but that care typically ends as soon as
individuals are released back to the community. Continuity of care
between the correctional facility and the community is a critical
factor in this, providing crucial support to individuals as they strive
to comply with conditions of release. However, upon release, most
individuals have few options for receiving necessary healthcare,
including addiction and mental health treatment. Correctional
jurisdictions make significant investments in the health of
incarcerated individuals; access to affordable healthcare post-release
increases the value of those investments and may reduce future
corrections spending.
The results of several studies suggest that between 50 and 90
percent of the criminal justice-involved population lacks health
insurance when released from prison or jail. Low levels of employment
and income among the formerly incarcerated reduce their ability to
obtain affordable health insurance and partially explain the low level
of coverage among this population. (D. Mancuso and B.E.M. Felver (2010)
``Health Care Reform, Medicaid Expansion and Access to Alcohol/Drug
Treatment: Opportunities for Disability Prevention.'' RDA Report 4.84.
Washington Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data
Analysis Division, Olympia, Washington; C. Redcross, D. Bloom, G.
Azurdia, J. Zweig, and N. Pindus. (2009). ``Transitional Jobs for Ex-
Prisoners Implementation, Two-Year Impacts, and Costs of the Center for
Employment Opportunities (CEO) Prisoner Reentry Program.'' MDRC for the
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning Research
and Evaluation. Washington, DC; E.A. Wang, M.C. White, R. Jamison, J.
Goldenson, M. Estes and J.P. Tulsky. (2008) ``Discharge Planning and
Continuity of Health Care: Findings from the San Francisco County
Jail.'' American Journal of Public Health, 98 (12): 2182-84.; K.
Mallik-Kane and C. A. Visher. (2008) ``Health and Prisoner Reentry: How
Physical, Mental, and Substance Abuse Conditions Shape the Process of
Reintegration.'' Urban Institute Justice Policy Center: Washington,
D.C.; B. DiPietro. Frequently Asked Questions: Implications of the
Federal Legislation on Justice Involved Populations. New York: Council
of State Governments Justice Center, 2011.)
In March of 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA), Public Law 111-148 and the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act, Public Law 111-152 were passed and signed into law
and together became known as the Affordable Care Act, or health care
reform. One of the most notable elements of the Affordable Care Act is
its 2014 expansion of Medicaid eligibility to individuals at or below
133 percent of the federal poverty level. This will dramatically
increase the Medicaid-eligible population. A Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) analysis estimates that an additional 16 million
individuals will be eligible for Medicaid beginning in 2014. Included
in that population are many of the 9 million individuals who cycle
through American jails and the over 725,000 individuals who are
released from prison every year. Many of these individuals have
significant health needs but, in most states, are not currently
eligible for enrollment in Medicaid. (Congressional Budget Office.
2010. ``Letter to Nancy Pelosi on H.R. 4872, Reconciliation Act of 2010
(Final Health Care Legislation).'' Washington, DC: Congressional Budget
Office, March 20; S. Somers, A. Hamblin, J. Verdier, and V. Byrd.
August 2010 ``Covering Low-Income Childless Adults in Medicaid:
Experiences from Selected States.'' Center for Health Care
[[Page 39440]]
Strategies and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.)
The changes occurring as a result of healthcare reform will
significantly affect the ways in which justice involved individuals can
access public health insurance and services. Estimates indicate that at
least 35 percent of new Medicaid eligibles under the Affordable Care
Act will have a history of criminal justice system involvement.
(Calculations based on the estimated size of newly eligible population,
the size of the justice involved population and the share of that
population without insurance.) This overlap between the reentering
population and Medicaid eligibles provides the opportunity to jumpstart
the enrollment process for health care coverage through Medicaid on a
broader scale as part of the reentry planning process. It also allows
for the evaluation of the association between expanding access to
treatment and health services and reentry outcomes. Particularly, it
provides a framework for evaluating the interconnectedness of health
status, employment, and recidivism. Additionally, this provides a
mechanism for studying targeted outreach and enrollment strategies for
one large subgroup of those newly eligible for Medicaid in 2014.
NIC/DOJ and ASPE/HHS are committed to promoting risk reduction
through the use of evidence-based policies and practices. One way to
reduce risk among individuals reentering the community from prison or
jail is to ensure continuity of care between the detention facility and
the community. Effective continuity of care increases treatment
benefits and opportunities for successful reintegration, strengthens
already invested treatment resources, and decreases health and safety
risks among reentering individuals and the communities to which they
return. Some local jails and state corrections institutions currently
include pre-release application for Medicaid as a part of the reentry
planning process. The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, an advocacy
organization for people with mental disabilities, has made a strong
case for incorporating assistance to benefits, such as Medicaid, a part
of reentry programming. Reentry activities that connect individuals to
Medicaid often include providing active assistance with the application
processes and linking individuals to community providers. Research has
found a positive relationship between access to healthcare upon reentry
and a number of outcomes related to improved well-being although, most
of this research focuses on individuals with severe mental illness.
These positive effects include reduced recidivism and reduced health
care costs. (Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. (2009) LIFELINES:
Linking to Federal Benefits for People Exiting Corrections. Volumes 1,
2, and 3. Washington, DC; D. Mancuso and B.E.M. Felver (2010) ``Health
Care Reform, Medicaid Expansion and Access to Alcohol/Drug Treatment:
Opportunities for Disability Prevention.'' RDA Report 4.84. Washington
Department of Social and Health Services, Research and Data Analysis
Division, Olympia, Washington; A. T. Wenzlow, H. T. Ireys, B. Mann, C.
Irvin, & J. Teich. (2011) ``Effects of a Discharge Planning Program on
Medicaid Coverage of State Prisoners with Serious Mental Illness.''
Psychiatric Services, 62(1): 73-78).
NIC and ASPE are expanding on earlier research by examining the
provision of Medicaid enrollment assistance and its effect on reentry
outcomes for all Medicaid-eligible individuals reentering the community
from jail or prison. The reentry population may face numerous
challenges in applying for Medicaid, including low literacy levels,
poor mental health and functioning, incomplete personal identification
and lack of documentation. Addressing these challenges as a part of the
reentry planning process will facilitate the development of evidence-
based practices for connecting a population with unique and complicated
needs to health services in the community.
Purpose: This project will evaluate how application assistance
during incarceration and enrollment in Medicaid at the time of release
from incarceration affects three outcomes related to individual and
community well-being: (1) Healthcare utilization, (2) employment, and
(3) recidivism. Without adequate access to healthcare and treatment,
individuals reentering the community from jail or prison can contribute
to decreased public safety, create additional financial burdens on the
public health system, and be less likely to find and maintain
employment. This model requires cooperation and collaboration among
local jails, state corrections, parole and probation (if under
supervision), and Medicaid agencies to provide access to continuing
community-based healthcare following release. States have developed
systems to assist other vulnerable populations, such as homeless and
domestic violence populations, with benefits applications, but these
processes may not have been adapted or extended to the reentry
population. Enrollment in Medicaid capitalizes on treatment provided in
the jail or prison setting and offers necessary support for an
individual to comply with conditions of release. If shown as an
effective practice for increasing access to healthcare and increasing
successful reentry outcomes, this strategy would be a win-win for
states by improving the effectiveness of both corrections and Medicaid
agencies and potentially reducing long-term costs.
Scope of Work: The cooperative agreement awardee will design,
implement, and evaluate a project that addresses the following research
questions: (1) What are the institutional challenges for local jails,
state corrections departments, and Medicaid agencies in implementing a
pre-release application process? What application processes has the
state developed and do they consider individuals who may have
difficulty providing standard documentation or social security numbers
(SSNs)? How do they help these groups, and does this vary by online,
fax, and other modalities? (2) Does the implementation of a pre-release
Medicaid application process lead to greater and faster enrollment in
Medicaid than waiting until after release? (3) Does the pre-release
Medicaid application process result in greater and timelier use of
community healthcare services? (4) How does the relationship between
pre-release application for Medicaid and actual enrollment and
utilization of Medicaid vary across subgroups? (5) What is the impact
of the pre-release application process and Medicaid enrollment on
employment success, as measured, for example, by earnings? How does
this relationship vary across subgroups? (6) What is the effect of the
program on recidivism, as mediated or moderated by healthcare access
and utilization? Does this relationship have subgroup variation?
A schedule of activities for this project shall include, at a
minimum, the following:
(1) Identification of an appropriate evaluation site(s) among
states that either (a) currently have a Section 1115 Medicaid
demonstration waiver to cover childless adults; (b) are early adopters
of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act; or, (c) use
state-only funding to extend public health insurance coverage to
childless adults. (See appendix A for a list of likely states.)
(2) Selection of sites using criteria established by NIC and ASPE.
(a) Scale shall be a primary criterion for site selection. The cohort
of prisoners in the queue for release must be large enough
[[Page 39441]]
that early findings on the take-up rates can be generated within the
first 15 months of the project. (b) The level of statistical rigor
allowed by the site selection is a second criterion. Sites that allow
random assignment to treatment and control groups of individuals within
an institution or of facilities within a state are preferable to those
that allow for only a comparison group. (c) States' willingness to and
ability to conduct statistical data matching for the evaluation is a
third criterion. (d) Adequate sample size is a fourth criterion. The
sample of individuals must be such that rigorous statistical techniques
can be employed to determine subgroup outcomes.
(3) Design and facilitation of project implementation through: (a)
Providing assistance to the sites in the development of an appropriate
reentry Medicaid application process; (b) Helping states identify
resources, including reallocation of existing reentry programming
resources and recruitment of volunteers to implement the project; (c)
Assisting states in developing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for
data exchange between state corrections, local jails, Medicaid
agencies, and state repositories of employment information. Information
on employment is most likely available from the quarterly wage data
available through the state unemployment insurance agency or state
child support enforcement program. The state child support enforcement
agency also maintains the state directory of new hires which has
information on all new job starts.
(4) Design and conduct of random assignment project evaluation,
which includes using the analyses of matched data using appropriate
statistical methodologies to determine the relationship between early
access to Medicaid and the previously identified outcomes of interest:
(a) Healthcare utilization, (b) employment success, and (c) recidivism.
These are the minimum project requirements. Procedurally the award
recipient will also be responsible for preparing documents that may be
required by NIJ to obtain approvals and clearances associated with the
Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction Act, and Protection of Human Subjects.
Applicants are also encouraged to approach other funding partners
to expand the scope of the demonstration to include access to
additional benefits, such as food stamps (SNAP); to consider
supplemental data collection strategies such as participant surveys;
and to implement the project in additional sites. These expansions will
be subject to the approval of NIC and ASPE.
Key issues and challenges for this project include: Recruitment of
sites where both the corrections and Medicaid agencies are willing to
participate and exchange information; Reducing the barriers to
establishing institution-spanning collaborations given state and local
government fiscal constraints; Differences in the reentry planning
processes in jail and prison environments; Confidentiality restrictions
that may impede the development of shared data agreements between state
and local corrections, Medicaid, and child support agencies; Collection
of data on healthcare utilization among non-Medicaid users in both the
treatment and control groups; Development of an experimental evaluation
design given the constraints that accompany research conducted in
corrections environments; Capacity of communities to provide additional
healthcare services to newly eligible populations; Medicaid
requirements for verifiable identification as part of the enrollment
process and to access services; Consistent transition planning across
disciplines. Post release parole or probation supervision, when
ordered, plays an important role in potential success or failure of
transitional planning, but will probably be administered by a separate
agency.
The applicant must address the issues and challenges identified
above by describing why each issue is important and propose strategies
for successfully addressing each challenge. Applicants are encouraged
to identify and address additional issues and challenges that they
believe will significantly affect the successful implementation of this
project.
Project deliverables include: A site selection memorandum that lays
out what sites were considered, the criteria for site selection, and
the site recommendation (year 1); An implementation report that details
the design of the demonstration implementation challenges and how those
challenges were met (year 2); A policy brief on initial findings
related to Medicaid enrollment (year 2); A report on project impacts at
12 months post release (year 3).
If additional resources are made available in subsequent years,
additional deliverables may include: A replicability toolkit for the
field with sections that apply to local jails, state prisons, and
Medicaid agencies (year 4); and A report on project impacts at 24
months post release (year 5).
Document Preparation: For all awards in which a document will be a
deliverable, the awardee must follow the Guidelines for Preparing and
Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in the ``General
Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements,'' which will be included in the
award package. All final publications submitted for posting on the NIC
Web site must meet the federal government's requirement for
accessibility (508 PDF and 508 HTML file or other acceptable format).
All documents developed under this cooperative agreement must be
submitted in draft form to NIC for review before the final products are
delivered. NIC will manage the concurrent review with ASPE.
Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee, with subject matter
experts, will attend an initial meeting with the ASPE and NIC staff for
a project overview and preliminary planning. This will take place
shortly after the cooperative agreement is awarded and will be held in
Washington, DC. The meeting will last up to 2 full days.
The awardee, with subject matter experts, should also plan to meet
with ASPE and NIC staff at least two more times during the course of
the project. These meetings will last up to 2 days and may focus on
project development and updates. Only one of these meetings will be
held in Washington, DC.
The awardee, with subject matter experts, should plan to meet via
WebEx several times at key points during the project for updates and
project development activities. NIC will host these meetings, which
will last up to 2 hours. The meeting itself will be at NIC's expense,
but fees for project staff who attend the meeting will be charged to
the cooperative agreement.
Application Requirements: An application package must include: OMB
Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance; A cover letter
that identifies the audit agency responsible for the applicant's
financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal year under
which the applicant operates (e.g., July 1 through June 30); An outline
of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives described in
this announcement; and a project summary/abstract. The following
additional forms must also be included: OMB Standard Form 424A--Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B,
Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (both available at http://www.grants.gov); DOJ/FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying,
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; The Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements (available at http://www.nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf).
[[Page 39442]]
Applications should be concisely written, typed double-spaced and
reference the project by the NIC opportunity number and title
referenced in this announcement. If you are hand delivering or
submitting via Fed-Ex, please include an original and three copies of
the full proposal (program and budget narrative, application forms,
assurances and other descriptions). The originals should have the
applicant's signature in blue ink. Electronic submissions will be
accepted only via http://www.grants.gov.
The project summary/abstract portion of the application should
include a summary of the application's project description and a brief
description of the critical elements of the proposed project. The
summary must be clear, accurate, concise, and without reference to
other parts of the application. The brief description must include the
needs to be addressed, the goals and objectives for the project, and
how the strategies proposed meet those goals and objectives.
Please place the following at the top of the abstract: Project
title; Applicant name (Legal name of applicant organization); Mailing
address; Contact phone numbers (voice, fax); E-mail address; Web site
address, if applicable.
The Project Summary/Abstract must be single-spaced and limited to
one page in length.
The narrative portion of the application should include, at a
minimum, the following sections.
A Statement indicating the applicant's understanding of the
project's purpose, goals and objectives. The applicant should state
this in language other than that used in the solicitation (i.e., do not
simply repeat the wording from the solicitation).
Project Design and Implementation: This section should describe how
the applicant proposes to assist the sites in the design and
implementation of the project and how the key design and implementation
issues and challenges will be addressed.
Project Evaluation: This section will lay out the proposed random
assignment or other statistically rigorous evaluation strategy for the
project and how key evaluation issues and challenges will be addressed.
Project Management: In this section, the applicant will provide a
chart of measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion
of each milestone.
Capabilities and Competencies: This section should describe the
qualifications of the applicant organization and any partner
organizations doing the work proposed and the expertise of key staff to
be involved in the project. Attach resumes that document relevant
knowledge, skills, and abilities to complete the project for the
principle investigator and each staff member assigned to the project.
If the applicant organization has completed similar projects in the
past, please include the URL/Web site or ISBN number for accessing a
copy of the referenced work.
Budget: The budget should detail all costs for the project, show
consideration for all contingencies for the project, note a commitment
to work within the proposed budget, and demonstrate the ability to
provide deliverables reasonably according to schedule.
The narrative portion of the application should not exceed 30
double-spaced typewritten pages, excluding attachments related to the
credentials and relevant experience of staff.
Authority: Public Law 93-415.
Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicant's best ideas
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for
achieving the goals of this solicitation. Funds may be used only for
the activities linked to the desired outcome of the project. The
funding amount should not exceed $500,000. There is no match required
under this announcement but applicants may include commitments from
other funding partners to expand the scope of the demonstration to
include access to additional benefits; to propose supplemental data
collection strategies such as participant surveys; to implement the
project in additional sites; and for other enhancements related to this
project. The approval of these collaborative efforts is subject to the
written approval of NIC and ASPE.
Eligibility of Applicants: Eligible applicants include non-profit
and for-profit entities, public and private institutions of higher
education, individuals, organizations, and private agencies. Applicants
must have: Demonstrated capacity in designing, implementing, and
evaluating projects in correctional settings; Subject matter expertise
in best practices in pre-release planning and services; Subject matter
expertise in prison/jail transitions to community; Subject matter
expertise in Medicaid eligibility for childless adults under current
law and under implementation of the Affordable Care Act provisions for
expansion to this population in 2014; Subject matter expertise in
healthcare access issues for individuals re-entering the community from
prison or jail.
Applicants may partner with other entities to bring the full range
of subject matter expertise to the proposal. The approval of these
collaborative efforts is subject to the written approval of NIC and
ASPE. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to implement a project
of this size and scope.
Review Considerations: Applications received under this
announcement will be subject to a collaborative NIC and ASPE review
process. The criteria for the evaluation of each application will be as
follows:
Programmatic: 40 Points.
Are all of the project research questions and activities adequately
discussed? Is there a clear description of how each project activity
will be accomplished, including major tasks, the strategies to be
employed, required staffing, responsible parties, and other required
resources? Are there any unique or exceptional approaches, techniques,
or design aspects proposed that will enhance the project?
Project Management and Administration: 20 Points. Does the
applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, measures to track
progress? Are the proposed management and staffing plans clear,
realistic, and sufficient to carry out the project? Is the applicant
willing to meet with NIC and ASPE, at a minimum, as specified in the
solicitation for this cooperative agreement?
Organizational and Project Staff Background: 30 Points.
Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to carry
out the tasks? Does the applicant/organization have the necessary
experience and organizational capacity to carry out all goals of the
project? If consultants and/or partnerships are proposed, is there a
reasonable justification for their inclusion in the project and a clear
structure to ensure effective coordination?
Budget: 10 Points.
Is the proposed budget realistic, does it provide sufficient cost
detail/narrative, and does it represent good value relative to the
anticipated results? Does the application include a chart that aligns
the budget with project activities along a timeline with, at a minimum,
quarterly benchmarks? In terms of program value, is the estimated cost
reasonable in relation to work performed and project products?
Note: NIC will NOT award a cooperative agreement to an
applicant who does not have a Dun and Bradstreet Database Universal
Number (DUNS) and is not registered in the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR).
Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
[[Page 39443]]
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-800-333-0505.
Applicants who are sole proprietors should dial 1-866-705-5711 and
select option 1.
Applicants may register in the CRR online at the CCR Web site,
http://www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and
worksheet at this Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 11AD10. This number should appear as a
reference line in the cover letter, where indicated on Standard Form
424, and outside of the envelope in which the application is sent.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.602
Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the
provisions of Executive Order 12372.
NIC expects this award to be signed by September 13, 2011.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
Appendix A
The states listed below are likely to be appropriate evaluation
sites because they either (a) Currently have a Section 1115 Medicaid
demonstration waiver to cover childless adults; (b) are early adopters
of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act; or, (c) use
state-only funding to extend public health insurance coverage to
childless adults.
Section 1115 Medicaid Waivers: Wisconsin, Maine, Indiana (expires
end of 2012), New York, Vermont, California.
Early Medicaid Expansion Adopters: Connecticut, District of
Columbia, Minnesota.
State-only Coverage of Childless Adults: District of Columbia,
Washington, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts.
[FR Doc. 2011-16844 Filed 7-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P