Health care stakeholders, LBJ Hospital management and board members and Medicaid health care providers, assembled at the American Samoa Community College, today, for the opening day of the two-day Medicaid Providers Summit.
Lt. Governor Taluega Eleasalo Ale gave the opening remarks. He praised the efforts of the Medicaid office by improving health care services in American Samoa.
Medicaid Office Director, Sandra Young King, listed the difficulties she encountered when she began the Medicaid office, and followed up by listing the achievements in health care accomplished by the office since it’s inception. Most notably were the Medicaid contributions preventing the spread and containment of the COVID virus, off island health referrals, and direct payments to LBJ Hospital.
Although federal intervention has reduced the government contribution percentage to the state plan, King offered tax proposal solutions to meet the local match contribution.
“We are closer than ever to achieving a universal health care plan for all residents of American Samoa,” she said.
