HCFA OPPORTUNITY FOR COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS (CRADA) AND OTHER PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS PURPOSE The Health Care Financing Adminstration (HCFA) is seeking expressions of interest and general comments regarding the Agency's potential development of public-private partnerships to enhance quality and access in the nation's health care system. Current White House and HHS initiatives have brought HCFA and AHCPR together to promote quality measurement and improvement in health care. This suggests that public-private partnerships might also lend themselves to interagency efforts, particularly regarding quality improvement. Accordingly, HCFA is evaluating public-private partnership opportunities in collaboration with AHCPR. A parallel announcement in today's Commerce Business Daily announces AHCPR's interest in developing cooperative R&D projects with the private sector, including projects that may involve HCFA in certain cases. Interested parties may respond to both HCFA and AHCPR where a proposed partnership might relate to or involve both Agencies, and the two Agencies will coordinate a joint review. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HCFA Role HCFA's experience under Medicare and Medicaid could provide a unique and essential contribution to certain collaborative research projects. HCFA could bring to a public-private partnership its expertise in: -- research design and implementation, including staff-level experience in health services research generally and in specialty skills involving Medicare, Medicaid, and quality-related topics; -- use of claims data to uncover predictors of quality improvement, cost savings, and improved access in health care; -- management of health care data, including issues of privacy, data linkage, and methods to compare clinical to administrative data; -- administrative methods such as billing methodology and ways to prevent fraud and abuse; -- ways to enhance health care delivery within the Medicare and Medicaid programs; -- providing for special needs populations within the health care system; -- measuring and enhancing patient outcomes and quality in the health care system; and, -- setting and enforcing standards to promote quality in health care delivery. Partners' Role Similarly, the experience of nongovernmental groups could bring unique resources and an important marketplace perspective to a research collaboration. The role of the private sector partner in these research collaborations could include opportunities to: -- support research design and study through the provision of funding or other valuable research resources (such as data, research personnel, equipment). -- partner in the design, coordination, and conduct of research studies to evaluate efficacy and cost of healthcare delivery. -- provide clinical or other technical support to studies. -- improve consumer and practitioner access to research results through innovations in dissemination and evaluation. Development of Partnership Projects Interested parties are invited to provide general comments on ways to improve the Agency's public-private partnership initiatives, and to submit expressions of interest in specific areas of collaboration. HCFA is open to a broad array of subject areas for potential CRADA development, and holds a special interest in projects designed to improve the quality of health care for HCFA beneficiaries. As a result of this process of public dialogue, HCFA may enter into new research collaborations including CRADAs which under the FTTA do not require further competitive processes or public comment. Typically, a CRADA project involves a joint investment of resources toward a particular scientific inquiry. The government's contributions are often in-kind and rarely involve any payment from the Agency directly to the CRADA partner, so this program should not be viewed as an alternative vehicle for government-funded research. Comments or proposals may be transmitted directly to: Barbara Cooper, Director, Office of Strategic Planning, Health Care Financing Administration, 7500 Security Blvd., Mail Stop C3-20-11, Baltimore, MD 21244. Although comments or proposals may be submitted at any time, those received within 60 days of this notice will receive priority consideration. Portions of proposals containing proprietary information may be labeled as confidential, if necessary. Questions may be directed to : Eric Katz, J.D., at 410 786-6477 (e-mail: ekatz@hcfa.gov). Barbara Cooper Director, Office of Strategic Planning

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