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Territorial Governors Urge US Senators to Consider Equitable Federal Medical Assistance
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Territorial Governors Urge US Senators to Consider Equitable Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Increases for Insular Areas in Economic Stimulus Legislation
November 21, 2008
Governor Felix P. Camacho joined voices with Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Governor Benigno Fitial and U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh, Jr. in requesting fair and equitable treatment for the U.S. insular territories regarding Federal Medical Assistance Percentage temporary increases.
In a letter addressed to Senator Orrin Hatch, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance; Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader; and Senator John Rockefeller, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, the territorial governors requested that the economic stimulus legislation, now under consideration by the Senate, include the insular areas in the temporary increases for federal medical assistance.
"As you know, the States and Territories are faced with soaring health care burdens and costs as a result of the rapidly deteriorating economic situation," the governors said in a letter dated November 17, 2008. "As Governors of the insular areas of the United States, we urge you to support modification of the FMAP provisions in any stimulus bill enacted by the Congress to reflect the actual health care needs of our residents and our respective Medicaid programs."
Under H.R. 7110, the Job Creation and Unemployment Relief Act of 2008 passed by the House of Representatives, the territories are inexplicably not eligible for the additional Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Point increases made available to the other 50 states and the District of Columbia. Currently, the territories are only afforded a 50 percent FMAP matching rate, while other states are given up to an 83 percent matching rate. The letter signed by the territorial governors requests that the FMAP rate for the insular areas be statutorily set to mirror the District of Columbia at 70 percent. "It is imperative that the leaders of the U.S. territories stand together in advocating for equitable consideration as our nation's leaders debate the critical economic stimulus legislation that must benefit all our communities during these economically-challenging times," Governor Camacho said. Letter to the Honorable Orrin Hatch (pdf format) Letter to the Honorable Harry Reid (pdf format) Letter to the Honorable John D. Rockefeller (pdf format) |
