From the HHS News Release:

CMS will join with medical practices to test the effectiveness of delivering primary care services in a home setting on improving care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. Medical practices led by physicians or nurse practitioners will provide primary care home visits tailored to the needs of beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations.

Created by the Affordable Care Act, the new Independence at Home Demonstration greatly expands the scope of in-home services Medicare beneficiaries can receive. The Independence at Home Demonstration will provide chronically ill patients with a complete range of primary care services. Participation in the Demonstration is voluntary for Medicare beneficiaries.

Medical practices eligible to participate in the Demonstration must include physicians or nurse practitioners who have experience delivering home-based primary care. Up to 50 practices will be selected and each must serve at least 200 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations. Practices in the demonstration will be responsible for coordinating patient care with other health and social service professionals.

The new demonstration is one of a series of CMS initiatives to build a Medicare program that offers beneficiaries better care and better health at an affordable cost. It will be supported by the CMS Innovation Center, which was created by the Affordable Care Act to develop and test new models of health care delivery and payment, and disperse best practices throughout the health care system.

Applications and Letters of Intent, if applicable, are due on February 6, 2012. Additional information about this demonstration, including how to apply, can be found at http://www.cms.gov/DemoProjectsEvalRpts/downloads/IAH_FactSheet.pdf .

Questions on this demonstration may be submitted to CMS at: IndependenceAtHomeDemo@cms.hhs.gov.

View the CMS Press Release here.