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Public Law No: 109-172 Extension of Funding for Operations of State High Risk Health Insurance Pool Funding BACKGROUND The Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (Trade Act) appropriated $40 million in Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2003 and $40 million in FFY 2004 for grants for State High Risk Pools operational losses. As of September 2005, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the entire $80 million appropriation to States. Operational Losses Grants were awarded to twenty-two States and an additional $4 million awarded in Seed Grants to six states. Five of the six states that received seed grant money went on to implement qualified high risk pools. DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005 (DRA) REAUTHORIZED FUNDING Section 6202 of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA, P.L. 109-171) and the State High Risk Pool Funding Extension Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-172) extend funding of grants under section 2745 of the Public Health Service Act through FFY 2006 by authorizing and appropriating $15 million for seed grants to assist States to create and initially fund qualified high risk pools and $75 million for grants to help fund operational losses and bonus grants for supplemental consumer benefits to the existing qualified State high risk pools. The statute also authorizes up to $75 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2010. Five States that did not have a qualified high risk pool on the date of the enactment (February 10, 2006) were awarded a combination of $45 million in seed grant funding on September 30, 2006. Grants for 2005 operational losses and seed grants were award September 30, 2006 to thirty-one States to offset losses incurred in the operation of qualified high risk pools and bonus grants were awarded to twenty-five of those States that currently operate High Risk Pools. Five States that did not have a qualified high risk pool on the date of enactment (February 10, 2006) were awarded a combination of $1,450,000 in seed grant funding on September 25, 2007. Information regarding the FFY 2006 and FFY 2007 grant awards is available in the downloads below. NEW: On December 26, 2007 President Bush signed H.R. 2764, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008. $50 million was appropriated for FFY 2008 to support high risk insurance pools. After the across-the-board rescission, $49,126,500 will be made available for awards to States. A solicitation was issued on April 7, 2008 inviting proposals from qualified State high risk pools for two grant types: 1) to offset operational losses incurred in 2007 and 2) bonus grants to provide supplemental consumer benefits to current or potential enrollees. Thirty states received a FFY 2008 high risk pool grant award, announced on July 21, 2008. In the Downloads section below is a copy of the grant announcement and a list of the new FFY 2008 high risk pool awards.
Page Last Modified: 12/01/2008 9:53:47 AM
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