WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) today announced a $1.3 million grant to the Kansas Health Insurance Association, Great Bend, for the purpose of maintaining Kansas’ high risk insurance pool.

State high risk pools are state-created and state-funded initiatives designed to stabilize the state health insurance market and help those individuals who would otherwise be uninsured or are on public assistance programs. High-risk pools are the last resort insurer for thousands of Kansans who are unable to obtain health insurance by other means.

This grant provides just over $1 million to cover operational costs of the high risk pool. An additional $295,000 was given in order to establish a disease management program in the state.

Senator Roberts sponsored The State High Risk Pool Funding Extension Act of 2005 which was signed into law earlier this year. This legislation added a four year extension to the program and increased the amount of funding available to state high risk insurance pools.

Senator Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.