To
support States in the development of plans to provide access to
health insurance coverage for all citizens.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
(1)
The State Planning Grant Program provides 1-year grants to States
to develop plans for providing access to affordable health insurance
coverage to all citizens. Each State will design an approach that
would ensure every citizen in that State has access to affordable
health insurance benefits similar in scope to the Federal Employees
Health Benefit Plan, Medicaid, benefits offered to State employees,
or other similar health plans. At the conclusion of the grant, each
State will submit a report to the Secretary of Health and Human
Services that identifies the characteristics of the uninsured within
its State and proposals for providing them with affordable health
insurance coverage. Together, these reports will provide additional
data about the characteristics of the uninsured generally and potential
models for other States seeking to provide comprehensive coverage.
(2) Funding provided through this program may not be used to substitute
for or duplicate funds currently supporting similar activities.
In addition, grant funds may not be used to support construction,
renovation, or modernization costs. Grant funds may support costs
such as: a) Project staff salaries; b) consultants; c) project-related
travel; d) project evaluation; e) limited equipment and software
purchases or leases; and f) coordinating and conducting project-related
meetings.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: The Governor of each State or Territory
that has not previously received a State planning grant is invited
to apply. The Governor can designate an individual or agency authorized
to prepare the State's application on behalf of the State. Only
a State entity can be the official recipient of a grant. Only one
application per State is permitted.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: This grant funding will assist
States to develop models for providing access to health insurance
coverage for all citizens of the State. States with a low level
of uninsured or the ability to significantly decrease a relatively
high level of uninsured will be given funding priority and/or
preference.
Pre-application
Coordination: Not applicable. This program is
excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: Application kits (i.e., application
instructions, necessary forms, and application review criteria)
and additional guidance are available through the HRSA Grants
Application Center (GAC). To receive a complete application kit,
contact the GAC at 1-877-HRSA-123. Information will also be available
at: www.hrsa.gov under "State Planning Grants Program." No new
competitive grant applications are anticipated in FY 2003.
Award
Procedure: Each of the applications will undergo
an eligibility and conformance review by Federal staff at the
State Planning Grants Program Office. Applications that have passed
the eligibility and conformance review will be assigned to members
of an Objective Review Committee (ORC) that will review them based
on the evaluation criteria listed in the application guidance.
The results of the ORC reviews will be shared with the HRSA Administrator
and Secretary of HHS, who will make the final decisions.
Deadlines:
Applications for fiscal year 2003 are due in April 4, 2003.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: The time required
for the applications to be approved or disapproved is projected
to be 90 days (April 4 - July 3, 2002).
Appeals:
None.
Renewals:
None.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula or matching requirements.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Funds are
available to grantees on an as needed basis throughout the budget
period and payments are made through the DHHS Payment Management
System.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Reports are to be provided as outlined in the grant conditions.
Audits:
None.
Records:
None.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-0350-0-1-550.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01; $10,300,000; FY 02 est $12,500,000; and FY 03
est $0.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
From $668,000 to $1,350,000; Average: $1,300,000.
In fiscal year 2001, 11 existing State grantees conducting studies
of uninsured and developing plans for expanded insurance coverage,
9 new grantees funded to study the uninsured and develop plans for
expanded insurance coverage Multi-State Data Base project funded
for state grantee analysis of data collected. In fiscal year 2002,
11 State grantees produce reports on their uninsured and proposals
to provide insurance, 9 State grantees produce interim reports on
their progress in studying the uninsured Synthesis Reports on activities
and recommendations of 20 state grantees produced New grant solicitation
conducted to fund up to 10 new State grants. In fiscal year 2003,
this program is not anticipating funding, therefore no notable accomplishments
are anticipated.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Federal Register: March 31, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 63).
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: None.
Headquarters
Office: Joyce G. Somsak, Director, State Planning
Grants Program, Office of Special Programs, Health Resources and
Service Administration, Room 11-25, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville,
MD 20857. Telephone: (301) 443-0938. Fax: (301) 443-2565.
Web
Site Address: http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/stateplanning/
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
The State Planning Grants Program grants were awarded in both fiscal
years 2000 and 2001, and will be awarded in fiscal year 2002. The
list of grantees is available at: www/hrsa/gov/osp under "State
Planning Grants Program."
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Request for Preferences and Justification, each applicant must:
provide evidence of current low rate of uninsurance or; provide
a justification for its ability to significantly decrease a relatively
high rate of uninsured. The applicant may choose which surveys (national
or State level) to use in indicating a low rate of uninsured or
that it can significantly reduce a relatively high rate of uninsured.
1. Current Status of Health Care Insurance (10 points); 1.1 Describes
access to health insurance coverage in the State and rates of uninsurance,
or describes specific knowledge gaps about uninsurance in the State
and how grant activities could help to provide this information.
1.2 Describes key health issues in the State related to access and
uninsurance. 1.3 Describes the State's current health care delivery
system and its adequacy. 1.4 Describes the State's understanding
of other state and national activities to reduce the uninsured and
how these relate to the State's own situation. 2. Description of
Earlier Effort to Reduce the Number of Uninsured (20 points); 2.1
Describes earlier State executive and legislative efforts to reduce
the number of uninsured. 2.2 Describes the successes and implementation
problems of earlier efforts. 2.3 Describes how the proposed plan
will help to support these earlier efforts or create new initiatives.
3. Project Goals (5 points); 3.1 Describes clear project goals.
3.2 Describes how the project goals support the State Planning Grant
Program goal of "encouraging States to provide access to affordable
health insurance coverage to all citizens". 4. Project Description
(45 points); 4.1 Details the data collection and data and policy
analysis activities to be carried out; how these activities build
upon earlier analytic activities within the State and how they relate
to other relevant state or national efforts; data sources to be
used; studies/analyses to be carried out. 4.2 Describes how the
analytic efforts will be used to support the development of health
insurance coverage options; describes information that is already
available and how this new analysis will augment earlier efforts
or provide new understanding of the problem of the uninsured and
their characteristics in the State. 4.3. Describes how coverage
options will be developed, ensuring that they address all criteria
outlined in "Grant Expectations". 4.4 Describes the process for
decision-making and proposing policy recommendations for coverage
options. 4.5 Describes process for gaining collaboration across
all relevant agencies in the public and private sectors necessary
to implement strategies. 4.6 Describes the process for preparing
the Report to the Secretary. 4.7 Provides a detailed project narrative
which describes tasks to be completed, action steps, assigns responsibility,
describes collaboration and provides a timetable for completion.
4.8 Describes an organizational structure that has the appropriate
authority, can provide adequate oversight of the project, and can
ensure collaboration among critical players. 4.9 Key project staff
have the qualifications and skills necessary to carry out grant
activities. 5. Budget (10 points); 5.1 The proposed budget and narrative
justification is reasonable for the project and supports the project
management plan and program goals. 5.2 The budget and accounting
process are adequate. 6. Project Management and Report to Secretary
(10 points); 6.1 describes the process for monitoring progress towards
meeting project goals and completing tasks. 6.2 Describes commitment
to work with the Federal project staff and other SPG grantees to
prepare the Report to the Secretary and contribute to the national
report.
