Partnering with DHCF on Health Reform and Innovation Initiatives

The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) welcomes opportunities to collaborate with organizations and individuals in our community in support of the Medicaid Agency’s strategic priorities to:

• enhance health care quality
• improve care and outcomes
• promote health equity, and
• enhance the value and efficiency of DHCF’s programs. 

Staff meet regularly with community partners to discuss ideas and partnership proposals. Please direct all meeting requests and inquiries regarding partnership opportunities to [email protected].

DHCF develops formal partnerships on a case-by-case basis. 
Because expectations and participation requirements vary widely depending on specifics of each opportunity, DHCF must be selective in formally supporting partnerships, including participation in grant applications.

The Department has developed the following process for establishing formal partnerships in any instance where a formal notice of commitment or support is requested from DHCF.  Examples include: 

• a formal letter of commitment,
• a memorandum of agreement, and/or
• a memorandum of understanding  

DHCF Data Requests

Any request for DHCF to prepare or analyze DHCF data will entail additional requirements, including but not limited to the completion of DHCF’s Business Associates Agreement or DHCF’s Data Use Agreement (DUA), as appropriate for the type of project. 

If you are requesting personal health information (PHI) from DHCF for use on a proposed project, please be advised that DHCF has specific processes in place to safeguard the use of Medicaid beneficiaries’ data. It is recommended that partners review DHCF’s guidance on Institutional Review Board Approval and Privacy Board documentation requirements, as well as a sample DUA,  prior to submitting a request. 

All required documents must be completed before the agency will execute a DUA. Applicants should anticipate and plan an appropriate timeline to complete all required elements of DHCF’s standard DUA, including the need to demonstrate compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Privacy Board reviews, as relevant. 

Partners are advised to closely review DHCF’s sample DUA. This document is the agency’s standardized, approved DUA to which DHCF makes periodic adjustments, however, the agency does not customize DHCF’s data sharing for individual partnerships. Partners should be prepared to accept the terms of the sample DUA. 

Finally, in some instances, provider partners may wish to request access to claims or clinical data on a regular or real-time basis. In these instances, it may be more efficient for DHCF to refer partners to the DC HIE. DHCF’s designated DC HIE entity, the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients, regularly provides access to key performance data under a new or existing use cases developed by the community. For more information, please visit https://crispdc.org/ or contact Nathaniel Curry at [email protected]. 

Timeline and Process to Formalize Partnerships

As soon as possible, and no less than 30 days prior to a submission due date, partners must provide DHCF with a brief statement of interest in partnering with DHCF on a particular program.  This statement should be emailed to [email protected] and include the following four components: 

1. A brief description of the goals of the project or initiative and a high-level synopsis of the proposed partnership.

• Project plan should articulate the value of the proposed program to DC Medicaid beneficiaries, including DHCF’s delivery system improvement principles to improve health care and wellness in the District of Columbia
• Submitters are encouraged to indicate alignment with the District’s strategic initiatives’ and relevant goals, such as:
• DC’s State Innovation Model planning Grant (2016): Better Health Together
• Community Health Needs Assessment (2016): DC Health Matters
• District of Columbia Health Systems Plan
• The State Health Medicaid Innovation Plan (2017): Better Health Together
• The State Medicaid Health Information Technology Plan (2018):  Improving Care through Innovation
• Long.Live.DC. Opioid Strategic Plan (2021) *new
• Health Equity Report for the District of Columbia (2018) *new
• John Snow Inc. SUD Provider Capacity Needs Assessment Report (2021) *new
• DHCF/DBH Medicaid Behavioral Health Transformation Request for Information Report (2021) *new

2. A list of key partnering organizations and their roles. 

3. DHCF’s proposed role in the project, including: 

• length of partnership (or ongoing)
• estimated level of effort for DHCF staff and identified DHCF subject matter experts (if appropriate)
• Data or other required resources to be provided by DHCF

4. A proposed timeline for DHCF to complete elements of the proposal.  Please indicate dates by which DHCF: 

• Will receive information (e.g. required forms); and
• Deadlines by which DHCF must complete materials (e.g. budgetary information, data requests, etc).
• Outline of steps to be taken by lead organization and DHCF after submission of materials  

DHCF will acknowledge receipt of statements of interest within two (2) business days of submission. Staff will evaluate and respond to all opportunities within ten (10) business days. 

DHCF reserves the right to decline or discontinue partnership at any point in this process and may decline to participate for any reason, including insufficient time to review and complete materials or insufficient resources to support staff effort on specific analytic or programmatic activities. 

**In circumstances such as a quick-turnaround funding opportunity, DHCF will evaluate the feasibility of participating and reserves the option to modify and shorten timelines.