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Biden signs insular FMAP extension
President Joe Biden has signed into law the continuing resolution that keeps the federal government funded through Dec. 3. Tucked into Section 3105 of the bill is an extension of the current, very favorable matching rates for insular area Medicaid—83% federal/17% local, according to Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan’s digital newsletter, e-kilili, over the weekend.
“Without the extension the matching rates [the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages] would have reverted to 55% federal/45% local, increasing by millions of dollars the Commonwealth’s cost of providing Medicaid services to 38,000 people in the Marianas,” the newsletter states.
The FMAP extension follows last month’s decision by the Biden administration to provide $64.01 million to the Marianas for Medicaid in fiscal year 2022, which began on Oct. 1, 2021.
“This is an increase of over $2 million from fiscal 2021. Our next goal will be to keep the FMAP extension in legislation we will pass before Dec. 3 to fund the federal government for all of fiscal 2022,” the newsletter added. (Saipan Tribune)
