Date: February 27, 2001

For Release: Immediately

Contact: HRSA Press Office

(301) 443-3376

Headline: 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 www.hhs.gov/news.