Medicaid bill with $84 million for AS sent to House

congress-2

The full House Energy and Commerce Committee has now sent to the full House, a huge boost in Medicaid funding for American Samoa and the other territories, following subcommittee approval last week.

KHJ News Washington correspondent Matt Kaye reports—

The bill passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would give American Samoa $84-million Medicaid dollars, more than double what ASG officials asked the panel for last month.

Health Subcommittee Chair Anna Eshoo called it a “big deal” for the islands…

Play Audioeschew

Eshoo  “It also will help the one-and-a-half millionMedicaid enrollees in the territories, whose lives lie in the balance of afunding cliff.  As we heard at ourhistoric hearing, for too long, the territories have struggled with inadequate,unfair, I think, federal funding.”  :24

But Republicans succeeded in adding an amendment to tighten Medicaid fraud controls, after a major fraud case in Puerto Rico.

Health Subcommittee Republican Micheal Burgess on the Territories Health Care Improvement Act—

Play AudioBurgess

Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen–an original cosponsor of the bill—says the measure will provide “full coverage…and then, nearly full coverage…over the next few years,” plus “a more equitable funding formula commensurate with the states.”

She says it will free up “millions” of dollars for LBJ Hospital improvements, expansion and better care. That, by extending the 100% federal match, then stepping down the boost in future years, but still keeping far higher levels than the 55-45% split that was standard before a recent temporary hike in a disaster aid bill.

Medicaid Director Sandra King Young asked the Health subcommittee last month for a 90-10 federal-local match and 30-million in annual Medicaid funds.

HR 3631 would provide six years of increased federal funding and increased federal medical assistance percentage or“F-MAP” for American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Without the increase after a September 30th fiscal year“ Medicaid cliff,” when most of the earlier hike expires, Director Young told the subcommittee last month, she’d be forced to suspend many critical health services.