Rep. Walden: #SubHealth Advances Two Medicaid Bills

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Rep. Michael C. Burgess, R-Texas., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, issued the following news release:

The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today held a markup examining two commonsense bills to strengthen Medicaid and prioritize the most vulnerable.

The subcommittee advanced the following bills:

* H.R. 829, The Prioritizing the Most Vulnerable Over Lottery Winners Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), would alter how Medicaid eligibility is determined so states are not forced to cover lottery jackpot winners and can prioritize the low-income population the program is meant to serve. H.R. 829 passed the subcommittee by a bipartisan vote of 20-11.

* H.R. 181, Close Annuity Loopholes in Medicaid (CALM) Act, authored by Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), would ensure individuals with significant means are not burdening taxpayers instead of paying for their own care. The CALM Act will ensure Medicaid coverage is truly for the needy and not those masking their income. H.R. 181 passed the subcommittee by a vote of 19-13.

"Both of these bills would reduce federal and state Medicaid spending by hundreds of millions of dollars, freeing up resources that could be directed toward specific patient populations or targeted areas of need," stated Chairman Burgess.

For more information on today's markup, including a background memo, archived webcast, and text of the legislation, click here.

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