April 15, 2009. The 2009 Labor, Health, & Education Appropriations Bill provides $75 million for a new State Health Access Grants (SHAG) program administered by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). States must demonstrate they have a program which will expand access to affordable health care coverage for the uninsured populations in that State; come up with a 20 percent match; and provide data to assess progress against benchmark objectives. States that choose to address the needs of one population, such as children or small business employees, can apply for targeted grants ($2-4 million annually per state), and states that plan extensive coverage initiatives can apply for comprehensive grants ($7-10 million annually per state). Applications are due to Grants.gov on June 16, 2009.
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