Health

U.S. Senate is Said to Reach Deal Offering Territory Some Certainty in Medicaid Funding Over Next Few Years

The U.S. Senate is closing in on a deal to provide Medicaid certainty for the territory over the next few years.  “This week, the Senate Finance Committee issued a statement indicating that they reached an agreement on a drug pricing and health extenders bill, which includes a package to extend and increase Medicaid funding in the territories,” said Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett in a statement. This agreement comes after months of discussion between House and Senate members on the need to resolve the Medicaid Cliff by the end of the year, including increased funding for the territories and a greater percentage of funding from the federal government. The Senate proposal includes: All territories, including the Virgin Islands, will receive a 4- year Medicaid deal. A $126 million annual funding increase for the Virgin Islands for each of fiscal years 2020-2023, which is the same annual increase. Federal matching funds for the Virgin Islands will remain at the same rate of 100% thr...