Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement-Evaluating Early Access to Medicaid as a Reentry Strategy, 39438-39443 [2011-16844]

Agencies

• Department of Justice
• National Institute of Corrections

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39438-39443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing 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 https://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 https://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 apollard@bop.gov. In addition to the direct reply, 
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at https://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 https://www.grants.gov); DOJ/FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying, 
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; The Drug-Free 
Workplace Requirements (available at https://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 https://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, 
https://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