Fifteen states that made the most significant progress in enrolling uninsured children in Medicaid shared a $206 million bonus Monday, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

The three states to reap the highest sums are Alabama, which received more than $54 million; Wisconsin, which got more than $23 million; and Washington, receiving a little more than $17 million.

The funding for the "performance bonuses" is embedded in Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization legislation, signed into law by President Obama in 2009. The legislation established two sets of performance goals states must meet to be eligible for the bonus, according to HHS.

"Today's announcement highlights the ongoing and committed efforts by states to improve access to health coverage programs and take the aggressive steps necessary to enroll eligible children," said Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary, in prepared remarks. "Their actions reflect President Obama's serious commitment to assuring that our country's children get the health care they need. These performance bonuses demonstrate our support for the effective strategies these states have undertaken."

In order to qualify for the bonus, states had to have adopted at least five program features that are known to encourage enrollment and retention of children who are eligible for Medicaid coverage. States also had to document significant increases in Medicaid enrollment among children throughout the year, despite the recession - "states with increases of more than 10 percent above this baseline [qualified] for a higher award amount," according to HHS.

The other 12 states that received performance bonuses are Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon.

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