Press Releases
Plaskett Applauds Senate Support of House Bill to Improve Medicaid Funding in US TerritoriesCongresswoman acknowledges Senate companion bill, which takes aim at improving funding disparities in Virgin Islands
Washington, DC,
August 6, 2015
Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, today, expressed her thanks to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer for introducing U.S. Senate bill S.1961 as a companion to House Bill H.R 2635—legislation that will improve Medicare and Medicaid funding to U.S. territories “I am pleased to see my colleagues on the Senate side of Congress join myself and Congressman Pierluisi in support of legislation critical to the funding of healthcare programs in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Earlier this year Congressman Pierluisi and I introduced the ‘Improving the Treatment of the U.S. Territories Under Federal Health Programs Act of 2015,” which the Senate bill, Sponsored by Sen. Schumer is modeled after. The Senate bill, along with the House bill we introduced, proposes to lift the cap on Medicaid payments to U.S. territories and will increase the federal matching rate from around 50 percent to 83 percent. It will also extend the disproportionate share hospital (DSH) program to U.S. Territories for the first time. This much-needed program will help our local hospitals fill the financial void caused by uncompensated care,” Plaskett said. ### |