Much of puerto ricos medicaid funding expires at the end of september. Puerto rico and other u. S. Territories are on a separate medicaid system than the rest of the United States. Congress funds the him to block grants which can be depleted early if theres a hurricane or other Natural Disaster. A hearing on why states get continues medicaid coverage while the territories do not. The committee is meeting today to hear testimony on the impact of the end of medicaid funding for the areas under the Affordable Care act, also known as the use learning areas medicaid cliff. Under Committee Rules, any oral Opening Statements at parents are limited to the chairman and the ranking minority member. Therefore, i ask unanimous consent all of the members statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted to the clerk by 5 p. M. Today. I ask anatomist consent the gentlewoman from the u. S. Virgin islands be allowed to sit on the dice and question the witnesses. Hearing no objections
Publicly commit that medicare reductions would not be triggered, given the amount of fear, anxiety, and misinformation that is out there. I wrote to the Senate Majority leader urging that we immediately remove the threat of an automatic cut in medicares funding. In response, i am pleased to say both the majority leader and the speaker of the house released a joint statement that pledged this will not happen. And that is the issue before us tonight. Medicare provides essential Health Care Benefits to our nations seniors. We must remove immediately the threat that an automatic reduction in the programs funding could occur which would affect Health Care Providers and diminish access that beneficiaries, including our seniors and disabled individuals have to the services that they need. Earlier this month, the aarp sent a letter to the house and Senate Leadership alluding and supporting my inquiry and Warning Congress of the potential consequences. The letter says, quote, the sudden cut to
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the newly refurbished, excuse me, well, i want to call it the oversight Investigation Committee room which is sometimes used by energy and commerce, and what a but beautiful room. It is more conducive to the good hearing. This is the the first one of the 115th congress and welcome here, and welcome in the Witnesses Today. This is the and welcome back to my friend and colleague Ranking Member from colorado. This is our Medicaid Oversight Committee on existing problems and ways to strengthen the program. We are convened to examine a critical component of the Affordable Care act, medicaid and medicare expansion. It covers over 70 million americans and accounts for more than 15 of the Health Care Spending in the United States. In 2015 alone, the federal taxpayers spent over 350 billion on medicaid and the costs continue to rise each year according to the congressional budget office, and the shares are expected to rise significantly in the coming the decad
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the newly refurbished i dont want to call it the oversight investigation room. Which is sometimes used by energy and commerce. What a beautiful room. And it will be more conducive to hearings. This is the first of the 115th congress. Welcome here. And welcome to our Witnesses Today. This is our and welcome back to my friend and colleague, Ranking Member from colorado. This is our medicaid oversight hearing on ways to strengthen the problem. The subcommittee convenes this hearing to examine a critical component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act. Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion. As the Worlds Largest health program, medicaid provides Health Care Coverage for over 70 million americans, and accounts for more than 15 of Health Care Spending in the United States. In 2015 alone, federal taxpayers spent over 350 billion on medicaid. The costs continue to rise each other. The federal share and medicaid spending is expected to rise significantly
Mr. Reid mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be terminated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid mr. President , this senate is a place where we make friends we have our differences on policy but we really are a senate family. And its just not that way with democrats who work here in the senate. Its also with republicans. When we work together, which we do outside the view of most of the public, we work well together. And one of the troubling things for me, as im sure it is all of us, when someone who is a part of the family leaves, and especially it applies when you feel so close to the Family Member thats leaving. Today the democratic cloakroom, the nerve center of the senate, and the entire Senate Community say goodbye to a dedicated staffer, tequia delgado. We congratulate her on her role as Member Relations advisor for the white house. After graduating from Southern Illinois university in C