Sec. 304. Sense of Congress regarding the need to develop a more permanent legislative solution to provide the territories with a reliable and consistent source of Federal funding under the Medicaid program
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It is the sense of Congress that— the territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands are currently subject to Federal funding caps for their Medicaid programs; as a result of these Federal funding caps, which have not been adjusted over time, the territories continue to struggle in managing their Medicaid programs, including planning for their respective financial obligations and managing health care services for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and persons with disabilities; to address this disparate funding treatment and to provide the territories with some measure of relief, Congress has had to enact legislation six times in the last 15 years, including multiple temporary increases in the Federal funding caps, higher Federal medical assistance percentage rates, and billions of dollars in supplemental block grants; the supplemental funding provided to the territories under title V with respect to their Medicaid programs continues Congress’ commitment to ensuring the sustainability of these critically important programs and the people these programs serve; and a more permanent legislative solution must be developed in order to provide the territories with a reliable and consistent source of Federal funding under their Medicaid programs so that the territories can continue to meet the health care needs of vulnerable populations.