There’s more good news for American Samoa’s federal Medicaid matching rate in a House-passed short-term spending bill the Senate is also expected to pass before a Friday midnight deadline. KHJ News Washington DC correspondent Matt Kaye reports…
The enhanced Medicaid matching rate for American Samoa, key for LBJ Hospital and island medical services, is included in the latest stopgap funding bill that keeps the lights on until Congress can pass longer spending, next week.
ASG will continue to see a higher FMAP Medicaid matching rate of 83-percent, plus a temporary added 6-point-2 percent for COVID, and avoid a Medicaid ‘cliff,’ of reverting to much lower earlier rates.
Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata pressed for the higher rate for American Samoa in the latest and earlier Continuing Budget Resolutions, or ‘CRs’…
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…and prevents a return to the old 55-percent federal match that ended in fiscal 2020…
Amata and the other island representatives continue to press for inclusion in a giant $1.7 (T) trillion omnibus spending bill that would fund the federal government through the rest of the fiscal year…
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…referring to the larger omnibus bill to finish out FY ’23 and possibly provide for future years…
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But the island governments of course, want more permanent, multi-year enhanced Medicaid matching rates.
Earlier legislation to do that, never made it to the finish line. But Amata says, she and the other island US lawmakers—now split between the two parties—will continue their fight, despite looming budget constraints as a GOP House majority takes over in January.
