Government
HHS gives states more than $70 million to help cover the uninsured
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 14, 2009
The Dept. of Health and Human Services announced Sept. 3 that $70.9 million in grants have been awarded to 13 states to help support the expansion of health care coverage to their uninsured populations.
The grants are funded under the new State Health Access Program, an outgrowth of a state initiative that operated from 2000-07 and helped states develop innovative programs to cover the uninsured. "These grants build on the success of the earlier program," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "They will help more states provide affordable insurance to specific uninsured groups, such as children and seniors. The funds will also assist states in implementing new initiatives for reaching the uninsured."
The grants, to be made over a five-year period, require a 20% match by each state unless it can demonstrate a financial hardship. In addition, states must show that they will be able to sustain the program after federal funding has expired. The states that received grants are Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/09/14/gvbf0914.htm.












