Seed Grants to States for Qualified High-Risk Pools

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services operates the Seed Grants to States for Qualified High-Risk Pools program (CFDA 93.781) to assist states in creating and initially operating qualified high-risk health insurance pools for individuals unable to purchase individual coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions.

This program is inactive. The most recent grant awards were disbursed on July 1, 2004—over twenty-two years ago. Four Project Grants totaling $2.5 million in federal dollars were obligated in 2004, with no subsequent awards on record. No recent grant opportunities are posted.

When active, the program funded state-level administrative and operational startup costs for high-risk health insurance pools. The four awards from 2004 ranged from $150 thousand to $1 million per grant. Two recipients each received $1 million in federal support, while two received $310 thousand and $150 thousand respectively. All grants were structured as Project Grants, with performance periods concluding between September 2004 and May 2005.

CMS was the sole funding agency under this program. The program does not appear to have been replenished since 2004, and no current solicitations are available. Organizations seeking funding for high-risk pool operations or state-level health insurance access initiatives should monitor CMS communications channels for any program revival or consult alternative CMS or HHS funding streams that address comparable policy objectives.