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CCH® BENEFITS — 02/25/11

$241 Million Goes To Seven States To Boost Information Technology In Health Reform

from Spencer’s Benefits Reports: Seven states will share in $241 million in “early innovator” grants to help establish health insurance Exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

On February 16, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the award of seven cooperative agreements to help a group of “Early Innovator” states design and implement the information technology infrastructure needed to operate Health Insurance Exchanges.

“Early Innovator states will play a critical role in developing a consumer-friendly marketplace where insurers must compete to deliver the best deal,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “These grants ensure that consumers in every state will be able to easily navigate their way through health insurance options.”

The seven grant amounts are as follows:

• Kansas: Kansas Insurance Department, $31,537,465
• Maryland: Maryland Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene, $6,227,454
• Multi-State Consortia: University of Massachusetts Medical School, $35,591,333
• New York: New York Department of Health, $27,431,432
• Oklahoma: Oklahoma Health Care Authority, $54,582,269
• Oregon: Oregon Health Authority, $48,096,307
• Wisconsin: Wisconsin Department of Health Services, $37,757,266

Information on how each state or consortium will use the grant funds is available at www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/exchanges02162011a.html.

For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH Pension Plan Guide, CCH Employee Benefits Management, and Spencer's Benefits Reports.

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