The legislature will be holding a public hearing for a resolution to lend support to Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act.
The act was introduced to congress by Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Del. Gregorio Kalili and would eliminate Medicaid funding limits for U.S. territories, including Guam and the CNMI.
According to Resolution 42-36, sponsored by Sen. Telena Nelson, nearly 21% of Guam residents are currently enrolled in the Medicaid program, which primarily assists the elderly and low-income individuals. But unlike the states, where federal funding for Medicaid is open-ended, Guam has a pre-set federal funding cap, after which local funds are used to fund the program.