By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The Energy and Commerce Committee has announced that full Medicaid coverage to Guam and other territories is set to be enhanced and extended.
The enhancement comes in the Medicaid cap of how much total federal dollars are available in the program, with Guam in FY 2022 to receive $133 million and that sum increasing by 2.7 percent every year.
The Biden administration determined this enhancement in its interpretation of existing law that extended the cap increases to territories.
In the upcoming continuing resolution to extend debt ceiling coverage and keep the federal government running, it is anticipated that this continuing resolution will likely include a continuance of the 83-17 Medicaid match for Guam.
"We are grateful for the full support of the committees of jurisdiction and the Biden Administration for ensuring that we do not revert to the old cap; which was 10 times lower, or the old match levels; which had Guam paying more than 2x as much," said Congressman San Nicolas.
"We can rest easy that our Medicaid solutions are intact and that they will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future, with the added 2.7 percent annual increase in Cap amount ensuring we remain overly funded indefinitely," he added.
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