*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 
1993.09.29 : ; Medicare/Medicaid Information, Counseling and Assistance

Contact:  Anne Verano (202) 690-6145
September 29, 1993

     Grants totaling $9.92 million to states to develop and
operate programs on health insurance information, counseling and
assistance for Medicare beneficiaries were announced today by HHS
Secretary Donna E. Shalala.
     "These are cost-effective programs that use trained senior
volunteers to counsel their fellow senior citizens on Medicare
and Medicaid," said Secretary Shalala.
     The grants, which were awarded to all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, are
continuations of awards first made in 1992.  These grants are
administered by the Health Care Financing Administration, the HHS
agency that directs the Medicare and Medicaid programs. 
     "HCFA is interested in supporting any program that will help
our beneficiaries understand some of the more complex Medicare
issues and related health insurance matters," said HCFA
Administrator Bruce C. Vladeck.
     A Medicare provision receiving special attention is the
limitations on actual charges by physicians who do not agree to
accept the Medicare fee schedule as full payment for services.
     Other provisions getting increased emphasis include
notification of qualified Medicare beneficiaries about state
assistance in paying for Medicare premiums and co-insurance, 
programs to reach minorities and rural areas, and information on
Medigap insurance and long-term care insurance.
     Of the $9.92 million in grant funds available, $923,000 was
earmarked for special grants to states with innovative approaches
to informing, counseling and assisting Medicare beneficiaries
about managed-care plans, such as qualified Medicare health
maintenance organizations.
     Congress established this grant program under the 1990
budget law and appropriated funds for fiscal years 1992 and *This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 
1993.
 
Funding for fiscal year 1994 awaits future congressional action.
     A list of the grants described above follows.


EDITOR'S NOTE: HCFA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, helps pay the medical bills of 36 million
Medicare beneficiaries and 31 million Medicaid recipients. HCFA's
estimated fiscal year 1993 expenditures are almost $230 billion.