The State Innovation Models (SIM) Program: An Overview

The primary goal of the ACA is to increase access to health care by expanding health insurance coverage, but another major thrust of the law is support for innovation in health care delivery and payment aimed at improving patient care and population health and reducing health care costs. The ACA-established Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is testing an array of alternative payment and service delivery models through numerous demonstration and pilot programs designed to lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program while maintaining or improving the quality of care for beneficiaries. This fact sheet provides an overview of one of these programs – the State Innovation Models (SIM) initiative.