INTRODUCTION

There are enormous demands for information on public programs, especially on innovations that aim to meet the health needs of the Medicaid, SCHIP, and uninsured populations. These demands call for evaluations of new initiatives that seek to produce new knowledge and direction for programs. Learning how successful or challenging these efforts have been, and why, can help inform the debate on how to reshape our programs for the future.

In the case of section 1115 demonstrations, the CMS Special Terms and Conditions require that the State conduct or fund an evaluation of the demonstration. The State may conduct the evaluation itself or it may contract with an outside organization to conduct the evaluation.

CMS has developed technical assistance tools to assist States in preparing their evaluation plans and reports for section 1115 demonstrations.. States are encouraged to seek technical assistance from CMS' Division of Quality, Evaluation, and Health Outcomes during evaluation planning and implementation.

It may also be useful for states to consult with each other on common issues that they face in evaluating section 1115 demonstrations. For example, once a month, the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill hosts an hour-long conference call among evaluators of family planning demonstrations in Region IV. This call provides an important forum for evaluators to discuss with their peers in other states in their region issues they are facing in evaluating these demonstrations and to receive valuable information and feedback from their peers on these questions. For further information about the forum in Region IV, please contact Priscilla Guild (priscilla_guild@unc.edu) or Ellen Shanahan (ellen_shanahan@unc.edu) at the Sheps Center.

The resource links given below, from the American Evaluation Association and the Government Accountability Office, provide further guidance on evaluation design and execution.

Downloads
Related Links Inside CMS
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Related Links Outside CMS
American Evaluation Association "Guiding Principles for Evaluators"

Page Last Modified: 12/10/2008 6:42:14 PM
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