News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2004 |
Contact: CMS Public Affairs
(202) 690-6145
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HHS Gives New Hampshire More Funds to Provide Health Care Coverage for Sick, Uninsured Residents
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced a $1 million grant to New Hampshire to help the state provide health care coverage to residents who cannot get conventional health insurance because they are too sick. The grant is in addition to the $224,000 given to the state last month for operation of its high-risk insurance pool.
High-risk pools are typically state-created non-profit associations that offer health coverage to individuals with serious medical conditions. Enrollment in these pools is growing, with more than 172,000 individuals enrolled in state pools nationwide.
"These grants will make it more affordable for New Hampshire to expand access to health care through high risk pools for the uninsured," Secretary Thompson said. "Individuals who benefit from these pools usually have a history of health problems that make it extremely difficult to find affordable health insurance in the individual market."
The grants were authorized in the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002. The $1 million grant to New Hampshire is a start-up grant for the initial operation of its risk pool. To be eligible, a state must create a "qualified" high-risk pool that meets the criteria specified in the Trade Act. New Hampshire's risk pool began operation in July 2002. HHS' Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the program.
The grants to support state high-risk pools are one piece in the Bush Administration's broad strategy for expanding access to health care for the more than 40 million Americans without health insurance. The President's fiscal year 2004 budget plan would expand community health centers that care for the uninsured, strengthen and modernize the Medicaid program, offer health tax credits to help individuals obtain insurance, and extend Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) coverage to more Americans who otherwise would go without coverage.
"Helping states establish high risk pools is an important tool in our effort to cover more uninsured Americans," said CMS Acting Administrator Dennis Smith. "This grant for New Hampshire will help get coverage to people who otherwise would not have access to health care."
Information about this program and how states may apply for a grant are included in the announcement that was released on November 26, 2002, which is available at www.cms.hhs.gov/riskpool. More information about the Administration's accomplishments in helping the uninsured is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040114.html.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: February 3, 2004
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