Focusing on insular Medicaid cliff

Statement

Using my authority as Vice Chair for Insular Affairs, I called a Natural Resources Committee hearing Thursday on the Medicaid "cliff" each of the insular areas faces. Medicaid program administrators from the five insular areas, including Ms. Helen Castro Sablan (above, second from left), testified at the two-hour hearing. I also asked Commonwealth Health Care Corporation CEO Esther Muna (above, left) to testify on behalf of health providers, who depend on Medicaid revenues. The $7.3 billion we included in Obamacare in 2010 for insular Medicaid expires this year. Programs must be refunded; or people will be dropped from coverage, benefits will be cut, and patients will die, the administrators explained to the Committee. Hearings are one way to keep Congress' attention focused on what needs to be done. Thanks to the witnesses, who came so far to testify. Watch the hearing here.

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