WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced a grant totaling $1,085,624 to the Kansas Health Insurance Association. The funds will increase access to health care coverage for those who are unable to find health insurance due to major health problems.

The grant will make it more affordable for the State of Kansas to expand access to health care through high risk pools for the uninsured. Individuals who benefit from these pools usually have a history of health problems that make it extremely difficult to find affordable health coverage in the individual market.

"These funds provide health care for Kansans who are unable to obtain health insurance by other means," Senator Roberts said. "Most of these Kansans are our neighbors and friends, they are self-employed or work for a small business and without this opportunity, they would be uninsured or forced to seek public assistance."

The grant will be used by the Kansas Health Insurance Association to offset losses that they incur in the operation of high-risk pools, which are typically state-created non-profit associations that offer health coverage to individuals with serious medical conditions. Grant funds also provide support for disease management for chronic conditions and premium subsidies for individuals with lower incomes. Enrollment in these pools is growing, with more than 200,000 individuals enrolled in state pools.

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee and Senate Finance Committee. In the 109^th Congress, he was a cosponsor of legislation signed into law that renewed the State High Risk Pool program through 2010 (P.L. 109-172).

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