| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: | HRSA Press | | Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 | Office
(301) 443-3376 |
NINE MORE STATES RECEIVE HHS GRANTS TO DEVELOP PLANS
EXTENDING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE TO ALL CITIZENS
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that nine states have received one-year grants totaling $10.2 million to develop plans for providing their uninsured citizens with affordable health insurance. The newly funded states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington. The nine latest recipients of State Planning Grants join 11 others that last year received grants totaling $13.6 million, the first awards made under the program. "It is vital that we work to expand access to health insurance to all our citizens," said Secretary Thompson. "The grants will help states identify who remains uninsured, why they are uninsured and develop ways to get them the coverage they need." Under the program, administered by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration, grantees from state agencies first will conduct studies to identify characteristics of their uninsured citizens. Grantees then will use that data to determine the most effective methods to provide all state citizens with high-quality, affordable health insurance similar to plans that cover government employees or other benchmark plans. All state grantees are required by the end of their grant to report to the Secretary on grant activities and detail proposals for expanding insurance coverage to all uninsured citizens. "We expect to receive some interesting and inventive models for covering the uninsured that will be very useful to other states and the nation as a whole," said HRSA Administrator Claude Earl Fox, M.D., M.P.H. More information about the program is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/stateplanning. HRSA Fiscal Year 2001 State Planning Grantees Grantee Award
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System $ 1,162,879 | California Health and Human Services | $ | 1,197,000 | | Office of the Governor-State of Colorado | $ | 1,300,000 | | South Dakota Department of Health | $ | 1,056,812 | | Connecticut Office of Health Care Access | $ | 612,000 | | Idaho Department of Commerce | $ | 1,119,421 | | Washington Office of Financial Management | $ | 1,320,400 | | Texas Department of Insurance | $ | 1,350,735 | | Utah Department of Health | $ | 1,102,000 |
HRSA Fiscal Year 2000 State Planning Grantees | Grantee | Award | | Arkansas Department of Health Improvement | $
1,393,322 | | Delaware Health Care Commission | $ 800,900 | | State of Illinois | $
1,200,000 | | Iowa Department of Health | $
1,303,731 | | Kansas Insurance Department | $
1,298,205 |
Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance $ | | 1,069,195 | | Minnesota Department of Health | $
1,630,931 | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human
Services | $
1,033,315 | Office for Oregon Health Plan Policy and
Research | $
1,253,264 | | Vermont Agency of Human Services | $
1,288,892 | Wisconsin Department of Health and Family
Services | $
1,349,846 |
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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