Kilili pushes to bring Marianas into Medicaid
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Ind-MP) is leading a request from all the insular area representatives this week in asking President Joseph Biden to include funding to bring the Marianas into Medicaid.
In his e-kilili newsletter, Sablan said he and other insular representatives requested Biden to include such Medicaid funding in his fiscal year 2022 budget proposal, expected in May.
He said the Obama/Biden fiscal year 2017 budget proposed lifting the cap on Medicaid funding for the insular areas and putting the CNMI on a transition to full inclusion in this federal health insurance program for those with low incomes.
Sablan said the Republican-led Congress did not accept that proposal.
“Now that Democrats control both the Senate and the House, the chance of passing the Obama/Biden Medicaid proposal are improved,” he said.
The delegate said he introduced legislation authorizing the first step: lifting the Medicaid cap. He said the legislation, H.R. 264, already has 60 co-sponsors.
Sablan said Biden has made it a priority for his administration to address the inequitable allocation of federal resources, such as Medicaid.
“Inclusion of that Obama/Biden proposal in the FY 2022 budget is consistent with that directive,” he said.
