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To reward and encourage state innovation and expand health care coverage, Secretary Thompson launched a major effort at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to speed up the review process and resolve a backlog of pending requests from states for Medicaid and SCHIP state plan amendments and waivers.

Since Jan. 22, CMS has approved 910 new and pending Medicaid and SCHIP state plan amendments and waivers. Collectively, these changes have made more than 800,000 additional people eligible for health care coverage across the country. In addition, these changes increased benefits for 2.5 million people already covered through Medicaid and SCHIP.

At the same time, states have significantly improved their programs: 13 states have simplified eligibility, and 34 states are implementing innovative delivery systems.

The Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability Initiative announced today represents the latest step to make it faster and easier for states to expand health insurance coverage to those in need.

The innovative state waiver programs approved this year include:

Florida. CMS approved Florida's plan to include the Healthy Start Coordinated Care System for Pregnant Women and Infants as a part of the state's overall managed care system known as MediPass. The change will improve the integration of services for pregnant women and infants. In addition, the waiver approval allows Florida to integrate the Children's Medical Service Network, for children with special health care needs, into MediPass.

Minnesota. CMS approved Minnesota's request to amend its Pre-Paid Medical Assistance Program Demonstration to enable the state to implement county-based purchasing in nine rural counties known as the South Country Health Alliance. The alliance will serve as the managed-care provider for about 10,000 eligible residents. The program will allow the counties to better integrate those residents' health care services with other related services already provided through the counties, including housing and social service programs.

New York. CMS approved New York's Family Health Plus, which will provide health coverage to about 600,000 eligible single adults and parents who do not have health insurance through their employers but make too much to be eligible for traditional Medicaid coverage. The plan covers eligible single adults up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level and eligible adults with children up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

Wisconsin. CMS approved Wisconsin's waiver request for Family Care, which provides home and community-based services through county-operated Care Management Organizations and offers "one-stop shopping" to assist consumers in learning about available services. The goal of Family Care is to increase the capacity of the home and community-based services waivers through the use of managed-care efficiencies, thereby reducing waiver waiting lists. The program is part of Wisconsin's planned redesign for its long-term care system.

Significant state plan amendments approved this year include:

Women's health coverage. Secretary Thompson approved plan amendments from 10 states to expand Medicaid benefits to uninsured women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 created a state option to extend the full Medicaid benefits package to women diagnosed through this key prevention program. Eight more states have similar plan amendments that are expected to be approved shortly.

Florida and South Carolina. CMS approved new state plan amendments in Florida and South Carolina that provide personal care services to the states' medically fragile elderly Medicaid populations. Under the new plans, each state provides an integrated set of personal care services to individuals, based upon a care plan developed by a licensed practitioner, that can include assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, managing finances and shopping. These services are available on a 24-hour basis in a nonmedical environment that promotes independence.

California. CMS approved California's plan amendment to allow children to remain covered by the state's Medi-Cal program continuously for 12 months once found eligible for the program. The coverage would continue regardless of changes in income, resources or family structure. The change doubles the average length of time children are on the Medi-Cal rolls and will result in an additional 390,000 children retaining eligibility on a monthly basis.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.