KIDDIECARE II: HCFA ANNOUNCES STATE ALLOTMENTS

      The Department of Health and Human Services and the Health 
 Care Financing Administration announced last week the state  
 allotments for the Kiddiecare program included in the Balanced
 Budget Act of 1997.  The Children's Health Insurance  
 Program provides $24 billion in federal matching funds for states
 to expand health insurance to the 10 million low-income,  
 uninsured children in the nation.  Each state has been allowed  
 flexibility in developing its insurance plan, and each may set  
 the eligibility level at 200% of the federal poverty level or at
 50% above their current Medicaid eligibility level.  All plans
 must be approved by HHS before the funds will be made available. 
 The federal government will make available nearly $4.3 billion in
 FY '98, with funds becoming available October 1. 
 States that do not have a plan in pace by October 1 can still
 receive FY '98 matching funds if they obtain approval for their
 plan by the end of FY '98.  Each state will receive funds at an
 "enhanced" match rate higher than the  state's current Medicaid
 match rate.  The allocations to each state are based on the
 number of uninsured children at or below 200% of the federal
 poverty level, and will be changed after three years to account
 for reductions in the number of uninsured children (HCFA release,
 9/10).  The state allocations are as follows:  


 STATE            Number Low-Income Children       Allotment
                        (000)

 Alabama                  154               $85,997,312  
 Alaska                     9                $5,638,146  
 Arizona                  184              $113,138,521  
 Arkansas                  90               $46,878,527  
 California             1,281              $854,864,484  
 Connecticut               53               $34,968,061  
 Delaware                  13                $8,055,533  
 District of Columbia      16               $12,079,106  
 Florida                  444              $270,284,180  
 Georgia                  214              $124,692,179  
 Hawaii                    13                $8,947,603  
 Idaho                     31               $15,883,789  
 Illinois                 211              $122,560,067  
 Indiana                  131               $70,530,557  
 Iowa                      67               $32,468,807
 Kansas                    60               $30,664,400
 Kentucky                  93               $49,945,361
 Louisiana                194              $101,762,991
 Maine                     24               $12,490,186
 Maryland                 100               $61,643,199
 Massachusetts             69               $42,847,242
 Michigan                 156               $91,609,050
 Minnesota                 50               $28,403,279
 Mississippi              110               $56,031,502
 Missouri                  97               $51,686,405
 Montana                   20                $9,786,177
 Nebraska                  30               $14,866,746
 Nevada                    43               $30,414,882
 New Hampshire             20               $11,461,349
 New Jersey               134               $88,440,626
 New Mexico               107               $57,605,226
 New York                 399              $255,692,115
 North Carolina           138               $79,528,899
 North Dakota              10                $5,042,037
 Ohio                     205              $115,764,112
 Oklahoma                 161               $81,182,913
 Oregon                    67               $39,131,718
 Pennsylvania             200              $117,486,712
 Rhode Island              19               $10,687,168
 South Carolina           110               $63,574,155
 South Dakota              15                $7,538,311
 Tennessee                115               $66,170,086
 Texas                  1,031              $561,475,805
 Utah                      46               $24,247,390
 Vermont                    7                $3,536,354
 Virginia                 118               $68,332,474
 Washington                85               $46,673,207
 West Virginia             45               $23,612,812
 Wisconsin                 71               $38,475,831
 Wyoming                   15                $7,713,620

 Total                                   $4,204,312,500
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