The urge for parity in Medicaid Funds

In recent weeks, this new Congress has taken concrete steps to eliminate all the provisions of the Affordable Health Care Patient for America Act, commonly referred to as ‘ObamaCare’. President Donald Trump has stated that his goal is the repeal of ObamaCare, which he intends to replace with a series of targeted reforms including allowing the sale of health insurance across state lines, permitting individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns, implement the use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and to block-grant Medicaid resources to the states. Unfortunately, none of the above mentioned measures will guarantee the American citizens living in the United States territory of Puerto Rico access to the full spectrum of Medicaid funds allocated to other states.

As it currently stands, Puerto Rico have received around $6,400 million to fund its public health system. Those funds, granted in 2010, were divided in two allocations. The original one made in late 2011 was for $5,400 million and was due to last until Sept. 30, 2019. The second part, $925 million, came in 2012. Those grants are used to provide health care services to almost 1.6 million Puerto Ricans living below the poverty line. The elimination of those funds will have a crushing effect on the people. Almost overnight, more than a million of American citizens will be without health insurance. That’s only the beginning of chaos.

{mosads}The Island’s economy, which have been in recession since the last quarter of Fiscal Year 2005, would receive a devastating blow, sure to plunge it into an historic collapse never seen in any U.S. jurisdiction. That’s because the health services industry in Puerto Rico employs an estimated 100,000 people directly and accounts for roughly 20 percent of our economy. As anyone can now see, the effects of repealing ObamaCare without any full fledged solution that provides the island with a ‘same level grant’, will set in motion a true human health crisis inside the U.S.

Because of its condition as the world’s oldest colony, Puerto Rico, without ObamaCare, is set to receive a grant of only between $320 and $350 million annually to fund all Medicaid programs. That’s simply not enough. The cost of public healthcare service on the Island is $2,300 million annually. Without equal funding, most of the people currently receiving benefits will lose their coverage.

Most of the states of the Union receive an allocation of 80 percent of their cost. The maximum being 83 percent. Without ObamaCare, Puerto Rico is set to receive less than the current 55 percent grant. Equal funding is needed so our government can maintain its level of support to the patients under the Medicaid cover. If we were a state, the American citizens living in Puerto Rico would be slated to receive 83 percent of all Medicaid cost.  This is because the local poverty level is much lower than the national average used to project Medicaid funds grants.

We need parity and we need now. Without parity the people will suffer, there’s simply no other way to put it. The Island’s recession, pushed by a political status that does not allow us to growth is the byproduct of the inaction of Congress and the White House. We are here because of it. If Washington does not act, 480,000 individuals will lose their coverage in January 2018, with another 510,000 soon thereafter. We will not let this happen.

Our Resident Commissioner, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, as well as Governor, Ricardo Rossello-Nevarez, have made it clear to the White House and the Congressional leadership the need for parity in Medicaid funds to Puerto Rico. Both are spearheading our efforts to receive equality on Medicaid funds for Federal Fiscal Year 2018. The Puerto Rico House of Representatives is joining in this effort. We will be proactive, pushing forward the agenda of the people, of Puerto Rico. We will not rest until the American citizens living in this tropical paradise are treated as equal under the law.

Carlos ‘Johnny’ Mendez-Nuñez Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives 

The views expressed by authors are their own and not the views of The Hill.