*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 
 1994.
11.18 :  Medicare Grants for Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Programs

Contact: Anne Verano     (202) 690-6145
November 18, 1994

    HCFA AWARDS $9.92 MILLION IN GRANTS TO STATES FOR COUNSELING

     Grants totaling $9.92 million to support programs on health
insurance information, counseling and assistance for Medicare
beneficiaries have been announced by Bruce C. Vladeck, administrator
of the Health Care Financing Administration.

     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
HCFA, the HHS agency that directs the Medicare and Medicaid
programs.

     "These grants allow states to train senior volunteers who
counsel other senior consumers on health insurance issues related to
Medicare and Medicaid," Vladeck said.

     Among the Medicare provisions receiving special attention are
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.  Volunteers also
assist beneficiaries who have difficulty understanding health
insurance claims information.

     State workers reach beneficiaries through individual
counseling, toll-free phone lines, informational materials, and
group educational seminars and presentations.

     Congress established this grant program under the 1990
budget law and appropriated funds for fiscal years 1992, 1993 and
*This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated. 
 1994.

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Note:  A list of the grant awards is available upon request.