Virgin Islands officials set to testify before House panel on Medicaid funding

Virgin Islands Department of Human Services officials were scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington on June 20, 2019, on what the territory described as a Medicaid funding cliff.

According to Government House, temporary Medicaid funding provided through the Affordable Care Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was set to expire on Sept. 30, 2019, absent congressional action. The administration said the funding supported more than 28,000 Medicaid enrollees in the territory.

Government House said the territory faced a 40% reduction in federal health-care funding, or about $31 million, if Congress did not act, and that as many as 18,000 residents could lose Medicaid coverage.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. said in a letter to congressional committee leaders that Congress should extend the 100% Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage for the territory for two additional fiscal years. He also proposed that Congress consider an 83% federal matching rate for the Virgin Islands for three additional fiscal years through Sept. 30, 2024.

Government House said Bryan and administration officials had testified before Congress and White House officials four times in the preceding months and were working with Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and other members of Congress on Medicaid funding changes.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/administration-officials-to-testify-before-congress-on-medicaid-fiscal-cliff/