In early September, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $70.9 million in grants to 13 states to support health care expansions for their uninsured populations. The grants are funded under the State Health Access Program (SHAP), which grew out of the HHS State Planning Grant program. This program operated from 2000-2007 and helped many states create plans to increase health insurance coverage for their uninsured populations.
The SHAP grants are made for one year but may extend to four additional years, based on funding availability. They require a 20 percent state match unless a state demonstrates a financial hardship. In addition, states must show that they are able to sustain the program once federal funding has expired. Each state will write a final report at the end of the grant period about impacts and accomplishments.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the SHAP grants, which were awarded to the following states through a competitive process: Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. View the HHS news release for more information on specific grant amounts.
