Opportunity Information: Apply for IE HBE 11 001
Apply for IE HBE 11 001
- The CMS Consumer Information Insurance Oversight in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreements to Support Innovative Exchange Information Technology Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.525 State Planning and Establishment Grants for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) s Exchanges.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 29, 2010 and posted on Oct 29, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 22, 2010 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
- This FOA is open to all States as that term is defined in Section 1304(d) of the Affordable Care Act. This includes the 50 States, consortia of States, and the District of Columbia. Territories are not eligible for these Cooperative Agreements due to the statutory restrictions on Section 1311 funding. As previously indicated, HHS will work with the territories to address their unique characteristics as we implement Section 1323 which gives each territory the option to receive funds to make coverage affordable through an Exchange starting in 2014. Consortia of States are eligible to apply for these Cooperative Agreements provided the consortia submit a single application. The Governor of each State (the Mayor, if from the District of Columbia) must designate a State entity as the grant applicant. Only one application per State is permitted. As a part of the Cooperative Agreement, consortia awardees will be required to designate one of their member States as having fiduciary responsibility for the Cooperative Agreement. A State cannot be awarded as both an individual Early Innovator and as a member of a consortium. Each applicant must submit a letter from the Governor (or the Mayor, if from the District of Columbia) officially endorsing the grant application and the proposed Cooperative Agreement. The letter must express a commitment to establish an Exchange. If the applicant is part of a consortium, it must include letters of support from each participating Governor (and the Mayor, if from the District of Columbia) officially endorsing the grant application and the proposed Cooperative Agreement. Each applicant also must submit a letter of support from the State Medicaid Director (if a consortia, a letter is required for each State Medicaid Director) agreeing not to duplicate efforts between the Exchange and the State Medicaid office, and to work with the Exchange on developing shared functionalities. Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV, Application and Submission Information will be considered non responsive and will not be considered for funding under this FOA.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreements to Support Innovative Exchange Information Technology Systems" (Funding Opportunity Number IE HBE 11 001) is a discretionary funding program run by CMS (Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight) focused on helping states build the core IT systems needed to operate Health Insurance Exchanges. These Exchanges were created under the Affordable Care Act as new competitive marketplaces where individuals and small businesses could shop for and purchase private health insurance, with full operations expected to begin in 2014. The overall purpose of the program is not simply to fund routine state IT upgrades, but to competitively reward a small number of states that can develop forward-looking, consumer-centered technology solutions that other states can reuse or adapt, ultimately reducing costs and duplication nationwide.
This announcement is specifically framed as an "Early Innovators" initiative. The idea is that a limited number of leading states (or state coalitions) would move first and build modern, cost-effective eligibility and enrollment technology models for Exchanges. Those models are expected to include universally needed components and shared functionalities that can serve as templates or building blocks for other states, rather than every state reinventing the same systems independently. The FOA emphasizes consumer-friendly design and practical, scalable solutions that can support eligibility determinations and enrollment workflows, which are central to making an Exchange function smoothly for the public. The systems created through these cooperative agreements are also intended to complement the federal health plan information available through HealthCare.gov, meaning the state-built tools should fit into the broader national ecosystem of health coverage information and access.
The awards were structured as two-year cooperative agreements, with up to five total awards anticipated for individual states or consortia of states. The program planned to make these awards by February 15, 2011, based on proposals that were described as ambitious but achievable, and that could generate best practices and IT models valuable to all states. While the listing shows an Award Ceiling and Award Floor of 0 in the provided metadata, that typically reflects how the opportunity was entered into the system rather than indicating the program offered no funding; the FOA text itself clearly describes a competitive grant program making multiple awards.
Eligible applicants were limited to state governments as defined in Section 1304(d) of the Affordable Care Act. That includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and consortia of states applying together as a single applicant. US territories were not eligible for these cooperative agreements due to statutory restrictions tied to Section 1311 funding, though the announcement notes that HHS would work with territories through a separate ACA pathway under Section 1323 related to making coverage affordable through an Exchange beginning in 2014.
The application requirements are fairly specific and emphasize formal state commitment and coordination. Each state had to submit only one application, and the governor (or the mayor for DC) had to designate the state entity that would serve as the applicant. Every application needed an official endorsement letter from the governor/mayor confirming support for both the application and the proposed cooperative agreement and, importantly, expressing a commitment to establish an Exchange. For multi-state consortia, the application had to include endorsement letters from each participating governor/mayor, and the consortium also had to designate one member state to take fiduciary responsibility for the cooperative agreement. The FOA also restricted duplication of awards: a state could not receive an award both as an individual Early Innovator and as part of a consortium award.
In addition to executive endorsement, applicants were required to demonstrate coordination with Medicaid by submitting a letter of support from the State Medicaid Director (and from each Medicaid Director in a consortium). That letter had to commit to avoiding duplicative efforts between Exchange work and Medicaid systems and to collaborating on shared functionalities. This requirement reflects a central operational reality for Exchanges: eligibility and enrollment processes often intersect with Medicaid and other public coverage programs, so the federal government wanted early designs to be integrated and efficient rather than fragmented across agencies.
Key administrative details in the announcement include a posting date of October 29, 2010, and an application closing date of December 22, 2010 (with the same date listed as both the original and current deadline). The opportunity was later archived on January 21, 2011. The CFDA number associated with the program is 93.525, listed as "State Planning and Establishment Grants for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) s Exchanges." The FOA indicated no cost sharing or matching requirement. For technical help accessing the full announcement, applicants were directed to the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov during standard weekday hours.
Taken together, this FOA was designed to jump-start a small set of exemplar state-built Exchange IT systems, with the explicit expectation that their outputs (technology components, models, and implementation best practices) would be reusable by other states. The intended payoff was broader than the immediate awardees: by producing shared, proven approaches early, the program aimed to lower development costs for states and reduce overall taxpayer burden while speeding the rollout of consumer-oriented Exchange enrollment and eligibility technology nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Cooperative Agreements to Support Innovative Exchange Information Technology Systems.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is IE HBE 11 001.
Which agency runs this program?
The program is run by CMS (Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight).
What is the overall purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to support states in building the core IT systems needed to operate Health Insurance Exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. It is intended to competitively reward a small number of states that can develop forward-looking, consumer-centered technology solutions that other states can reuse or adapt, reducing costs and duplication nationwide.
Is this meant to fund routine state IT upgrades?
No. The announcement emphasizes that the goal is not to fund routine or standard IT upgrades. Instead, it targets innovative and reusable models and components that can serve as templates or building blocks for other states.
What does the term "Early Innovators" mean in this FOA?
"Early Innovators" refers to a strategy where a limited number of leading states (or state coalitions) move first to develop modern, cost-effective eligibility and enrollment technology models for Exchanges. Their work is expected to produce components and best practices that other states can reuse or adapt.
What kind of systems or capabilities is this program trying to build?
The FOA focuses on eligibility determinations and enrollment workflows that are central to a smoothly functioning Exchange. It emphasizes consumer-friendly design and practical, scalable solutions with shared functionality that can be widely reused.
How are the systems expected to benefit other states?
The outputs are expected to include universally needed components, shared functionality, and implementation best practices that can serve as templates or building blocks for other states, helping reduce duplication and lower overall development costs.
How do these state-built systems relate to HealthCare.gov?
The FOA indicates that the systems created through these cooperative agreements are intended to complement the federal health plan information available through HealthCare.gov, meaning the state-built tools should fit into the broader national ecosystem of health coverage information and access.
When were Health Insurance Exchanges expected to be fully operational?
Full operations were expected to begin in 2014.
What is the anticipated award structure and duration?
The awards were structured as two-year cooperative agreements.
How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated up to five total awards for individual states or consortia of states.
When were awards planned to be made?
The program planned to make awards by February 15, 2011.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were limited to state governments as defined in Section 1304(d) of the Affordable Care Act. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and consortia of states applying together as a single applicant.
Are U.S. territories eligible to apply under this opportunity?
No. U.S. territories were not eligible for these cooperative agreements due to statutory restrictions tied to Section 1311 funding. The FOA notes that HHS would work with territories through a separate ACA pathway under Section 1323 related to making coverage affordable through an Exchange beginning in 2014.
Can a state submit more than one application?
No. Each state was required to submit only one application.
Who must designate the state entity that applies?
The governor (or the mayor for DC) had to designate the state entity that would serve as the applicant.
Is an endorsement letter required, and who must provide it?
Yes. Every application needed an official endorsement letter from the governor/mayor confirming support for both the application and the proposed cooperative agreement, and expressing a commitment to establish an Exchange.
What additional letters are required related to Medicaid coordination?
Applicants were required to submit a letter of support from the State Medicaid Director (and from each Medicaid Director in a consortium). The letter had to commit to avoiding duplicative efforts between Exchange work and Medicaid systems and to collaborating on shared functionalities.
Why does the FOA emphasize coordination with Medicaid?
The FOA reflects the operational reality that Exchange eligibility and enrollment often intersect with Medicaid and other public coverage programs. The federal intent was for early designs to be integrated and efficient rather than fragmented across agencies.
What are the special requirements for multi-state consortia applications?
For consortia, the application had to include endorsement letters from each participating governor/mayor. The consortium also had to designate one member state to take fiduciary responsibility for the cooperative agreement.
Can a state be funded both individually and as part of a consortium?
No. The FOA restricts duplication of awards: a state could not receive an award both as an individual Early Innovator and as part of a consortium award.
What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?
The FOA lists a posting date of October 29, 2010 and an application closing date of December 22, 2010 (also shown as both the original and current deadline). The opportunity was later archived on January 21, 2011.
What CFDA number is associated with this program?
The CFDA number is 93.525, listed as "State Planning and Establishment Grants for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) s Exchanges."
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA indicated no cost sharing or matching requirement.
The listing shows an Award Ceiling and Award Floor of 0. Does that mean there was no funding?
Not necessarily. The provided metadata shows an Award Ceiling and Award Floor of 0, which the description suggests may reflect how the opportunity was entered into the system rather than indicating the program offered no funding. The FOA text itself describes a competitive grant program making multiple awards.
What kind of proposals was CMS looking for?
CMS planned to select proposals that were described as ambitious but achievable and capable of generating best practices and IT models valuable to all states.
Where could applicants get technical help accessing the full announcement?
Applicants were directed to the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov during standard weekday hours for technical help accessing the full announcement.
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