Immunization Barriers in the United States: Targeting Medicaid Partnerships | CDC RFA IP20 2001

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA IP20 2001

The grant opportunity "Immunization Barriers in the United States: Targeting Medicaid Partnerships" (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA IP20 2001) is a CDC-led cooperative agreement designed to reduce persistent income-based gaps in vaccination coverage. Even though key supports like Medicaid benefits and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program make recommended vaccines available at low or no cost, the CDC notes that immunization rates among children and pregnant women living in poverty or covered by Medicaid still lag behind rates for people with higher incomes or private insurance. The central goal of the opportunity is to help the CDC better understand why these disparities continue and to support practical, partnership-driven strategies that can raise immunization rates in Medicaid populations.

The focus of the work is building and strengthening collaborations with state Medicaid programs. Awardees are expected to engage directly with Medicaid leadership to identify barriers that affect vaccination access and uptake for children and pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid. These barriers can include issues such as administrative complexity, missed clinical opportunities, inconsistent provider practices, data-sharing limitations, reimbursement or billing challenges, access to participating providers, and communication gaps between public health immunization programs and Medicaid agencies. By working alongside Medicaid partners, awardees will help surface what is happening on the ground in different states, clarify which obstacles are most influential, and determine where policy, operational, or systems changes could close immunization gaps.

A major theme of the announcement is improving coordination between state immunization programs and Medicaid programs so both can use shared resources more effectively. In particular, the grant emphasizes sustainability and better use of immunization information systems (IIS), which are the state or jurisdictional vaccine registries used to track vaccination records. Awardees will support efforts that help Medicaid and immunization programs align data and goals, strengthen the long-term viability of IIS infrastructure, and improve how these systems are used to measure coverage, identify undervaccinated groups, and prompt follow-up. This is positioned as a practical way to make improvements that last beyond the grant period, since strong data systems and durable interagency relationships can continue to support higher vaccination rates over time.

The awardees role is also explicitly national in nature: they will communicate national immunization program goals to state Medicaid leadership, help identify and document best practices across Medicaid programs, and facilitate sharing of lessons learned between states. Rather than each state working in isolation, the grant aims to create a clearer picture of what approaches are working, under what conditions, and how similar strategies can be adapted elsewhere. Awardees are expected to engage Medicaid leaders in solution-building, which means not only describing problems but also helping identify workable changes in priorities, workflows, incentives, or cross-agency agreements that can improve vaccination delivery and reporting.

Because this is a cooperative agreement, the CDC anticipates substantial involvement in the direction and implementation of the work, with awardees collaborating closely with the agency and with state immunization leaders. The broader outcome the CDC is seeking is improved understanding of how to work effectively with Medicaid leadership and faster progress toward immunization program goals by identifying shared priorities and coordinated strategies. In other words, the grant is structured to bridge the operational divide between public health immunization programs and Medicaid administration, so that coverage improvements are supported by both policy and practice.

Administratively, the opportunity was offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, within NCIRD, and falls under the health activity category (CFDA 93.268). It is listed as discretionary funding, uses the cooperative agreement instrument, and was open to unrestricted eligibility (meaning any entity type could apply, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full notice). The original application closing date was April 28, 2020, with electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The award ceiling was $200,000, and the CDC expected to make two awards, indicating a small number of funded partners with a targeted scope and an emphasis on concentrated, high-impact collaboration with Medicaid programs across states.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - NCIRD in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Immunization Barriers in the United States: Targeting Medicaid Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.268.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 28, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for CDC RFA IP20 2001

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