*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 1992.09.30 : Medicare Health Insurance Information Grants Contact: Bob Hardy (202) 690-6145 September 30, 1992 Grants totaling $10 million to states to develop and operate programs on health insurance information, counseling and assistance for Medicare beneficiaries were announced today by HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D. "We are pleased to play a key role in the establishment or enhancement of Medicare beneficiary counseling programs in these states," said Dr. Sullivan. The grants were awarded to 49 applicant states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mississippi is the only state not applying for a grant. These grants are administered by the Health Care Financing Administration, the HHS agency that directs the Medicare and Medicaid programs. "HCFA was interested in proposals that will provide Medicare beneficiaries helpful information about various issues, such as limitations on charges by physicians who do not accept the Medicare fee schedule as full payment for services," said William Toby Jr., acting HCFA administrator. Other proposals receiving special attention included: those notifying qualified Medicare beneficiaries about state assistance in paying for Medicare premiums and co-insurance; and those considering the special needs of rural areas and cost-effective ways of providing information and counseling services to rural beneficiaries. - More - - 2 - Of the $10 million in grant funds available, $1 million was earmarked for special grants to states with innovative approaches to informing, counseling and assisting Medicare beneficiaries about coordinated care plans, such as qualified Medicare health maintenance organizations. "This $1 million fund is for grants to encourage states to inform beneficiaries about existing coordinated care programs, because they offer high quality, cost-effective health care services," Toby said. "It will be shared by 21 states that submitted proposals for this funding." Congress, having established this grant program under the 1990 budget law, later appropriated $10 million for fiscal year *This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 1992. Funding for fiscal year 1993 awaits future congressional action. A list of the grants described above follows. ### EDITORS NOTE: Through the Medicare and Medicaid programs, HCFA helps pay the medical bills of some 60 million Americans, at an estimated 1992 budget of $204 billion, the 12th largest government budget of any kind in the world. STATE BASIC AWARD COORDINATED CARETOTAL AWARD AWARD Alabama $156,653 $156,653 Alaska $ 82,105 $ 82,105 Arizona $134,041 $ 40,000 $174,041 Arkansas $224,311 $224,311 California $450,254 $207,739 $657,993 Colorado $116,172 $ 20,297 $136,469 Connecticut $136,017 $136,017 Delaware $ 85,778 $ 85,778 District of Columbia$ 84,290 $ 84,290 Florida $532,496 $171,078 $703,574 Georgia $179,184 $179,184 Hawaii $ 89,221 $ 89,221 Idaho $138,614 $138,614 Illinois $252,825 $ 20,000 $272,825 Indiana $164,898 $164,898 Iowa $226,651 $226,651 Kansas $164,524 $164,524 Kentucky $211,034 $211,034 Louisiana $135,440 $135,440 Maine $107,255 $107,255 Maryland $137,619 $ 30,000 $167,619 Massachusetts $190,281 $ 61,936 $252,217 Michigan $217,097 $217,097 Minnesota $163,146 $ 33,000 $196,146 Mississippi $0 $0 Missouri $198,335 $ 5,795 $204,130 Montana $127,208 $127,208 Nebraska $148,436 $148,436 Nevada $ 91,285 $ 10,000 $101,285 New Hampshire $ 90,597 $ 90,597 New Jersey $213,712 $ 7,774 $221,486 New Mexico $112,004 $ 9,062 $121,066 New York $386,280 $220,000 $606,280 North Carolina $237,230 $237,230 North Dakota $113,023 $ 36,020 $149,043 Ohio $273,871 $ 28,000 $301,871 Oklahoma $165,017 $ 11,000 $176,017 Oregon $137,633 $ 3,629 $141,262 Pennsylvania $399,603 $399,603 Rhode Island $ 99,960 $ 9,360 $109,320 South Carolina $137,571 $137,571 South Dakota $124,482 $124,482 Tennessee $170,911 $170,911 Texas $283,959 $ 30,000 $313,959 Utah $ 93,465 $ 9,200 $102,665 Vermont $111,229 $111,229 Virginia $160,001 $160,001 Washington $146,106 $ 36,110 $182,216 West Virginia $182,454 $182,454 Wisconsin $174,032 $174,032 Wyoming $ 91,687 $ 91,687 Puerto Rico $124,201 $124,201 Virgin Islands $ 25,803 $ 25,803 Guam $0 $0 American Samoa $0 $0 TOTAL $9,000,000 $1,000,000 $10,000,000