Rep. Amata Welcomes CMS Announcement, and Members of Congress Question Territory Medicaid Directors in Hearing

WASHINGTON, May 23 -- Del. Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release:

Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed news that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma has granted a request to allow American Samoa and the other Territories to spend the last amount of certain ACA money that is otherwise set to expire this coming December. Ordinarily, American Samoa would have to spend the normal annual block grant first before accessing this supplemental funding.

Administrator Verma's decision, announced in Thursday's Congressional hearing, gives American Samoa some immediate relief for the Medicaid program in 2019. It allows the Territory to access Section 1323 funds (originally $16.5 million) ahead of the annual block grant. It does not apply to the larger Section 2005 funds that are still expiring after September.

"Thank you to CMS Administrator Seema Verma for this helpful decision which will provide some improvement yet this year," said Congresswoman Amata.

Congresswoman Amata also took part in a hearing of the full Committee on Natural Resources to examine the longstanding Medicaid issues that plague the five U.S. Territories, and Members of Congress questioned the Medicaid Directors of the Territories. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan presided over the hearing as Vice Chairman for Insular Affairs.

"The Medicaid funding provided by the ACA is set to expire this calendar year. The lack of a funding solution will be particularly harmful for American Samoa, as I am sure it will be for the other territories," said Aumua Amata in her statement. "The ACA's first allotment of funds became available in July of 2011, long before I and many of us here, were elected to Congress," continued Congresswoman Amata.

Medicaid Directors from each of the Territories testified:

- Ms. Esther L. Muna, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Healthcare Corporation

- Ms. Helen C. Sablan, Director, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands State Medicaid Agency

- Ms. Maria Theresa Arcangel, Chief Administrator, Guam Division of Public Welfare

- Ms. Michal S.A. Rhymer-Browne, Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Human Services

- Ms. Sandra King Young, Medicaid Director, American Samoa Government

- Ms. Angela Avila, Executive Director, Puerto Rico State Health Insurance Administration