Arizona Statewide Health Insurance Planning Grant
About the Grant

In February 2001, the AHCCCS Administration received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) a one year, $1.16 million dollar grant to develop plans for providing uninsured Arizonans with affordable, accessible health insurance. In September 2002, an additional $100,000 was awarded and the project was extended through and ended in August 2004.

A $50,000 grant provided by St. Luke’s Charitable Health Trust also provided support in the State Planning Grant efforts.

Purpose

Through these grants, the state has been able to effectively augment and support the efforts of the Statewide Health Care System Task Force which has been charged with development of an affordable health care insurance plan for all Arizonans.

Structure

In order to effectively carry out these grants, the AHCCCS Administration not only worked in close cooperation with a Legislative Task Force, but established and worked with a Technical Advisory Committee, consisting of experts in the health care arena. Additionally, the Administration has contracted with:

• National consulting firms to provide expertise in modeling and actuarial / financial analysis as well as information on national/international efforts to address health care coverage.
• The Arizona Rural Health Office to collect information on the current Arizona insurance landscape.

A more detailed explanation of individual roles and responsibilities can be found in the attached Project Schema.

Project Goals

The three and half year project consisted of two phases, each with its own distinct project goals:

Phase I. Development of General Plan for Coverage of Uninsured (March 2001 – March 2003)

This initial phase, which consumed most of the grant’s resources, included the following project goals:

• Review and compile information on current health care coverage in Arizona.
• Review current approaches/best practices being used by other states.
• Through a nine-member Statewide Health Care Insurance Plan Task Force (Task Force) and with input from a Technical Advisory Committee, develop a General Plan to address coverage of the uninsured.
• Submit to HRSA a report on the results of the SPG activities by March 2002.

Phase II. Development of Specific Coverage Options (April 2003 – August 2004)

Based on the research and recommendations developed in Phase I, this phase focused on further refining the selected coverage options and included the following project goals:

• Develop strategies for expansion of Healthcare Group as a primary means for providing accessible/affordable coverage to the uninsured.
• Analyze, develop and recommend additional policy options to enhance health care coverage in Arizona.
• Build ongoing support for recommended coverage options by working with key stakeholder groups such as a reconstituted Statewide Health Care System Task Force.