23 Jul BPC Action Applauds Bipartisan Insular Area Medicaid Parity Acy in Health

U.S.-affiliated insular areas, which include the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, have long faced inequities in their health care systems, which are only growing worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike the states, which receive federal Medicaid dollars based on the income levels and health care needs of the population, the insular areas each have a limit on annual Medicaid funding set by law. While the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) acknowledged this challenge by temporarily increasing federal funding for Medicaid in these communities, a long term solution is needed to overcome historical inequities and improve the quality of health care.

BPC Action applauds the work of Del. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan and his bipartisan cosponsors, whose legislation, the Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act, would repeal the cap on Medicaid funding for the insular areas. These unprecedented times have clearly demonstrated that the health of all Americans is interconnected and that we must invest in building strong, resilient health care systems in every community – the Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act seeks to address that challenge, and we support its passage