December 13, 2018
MMAPA Applauds Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón’s Letter To Congressional Appropriators
Congress Must Invest In Stabilizing Puerto Rico’s Hobbled Health Care System
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, Representative Jenniffer González-Colón sent a letter to the leading Democratic and Republican appropriators in the House and Senate urging them to include support for Puerto Rico in any upcoming appropriations bill or government funding package.
In the letter, Rep. González-Colón highlights how the federal government has severely underfunded health care programs in Puerto Rico, including Medicare, which receives only 57 percent of the U.S. mainland average for federal funding. The challenges caused by this long-standing underfunding were exacerbated by the devastation inflicted Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year. The storms disrupted care delivery systems, damaged the island’s infrastructure, and spurred health care professionals to move to the mainland.
As Rep. González-Colón explains in the letter, “Bolstering health care services and ensuring proper financial assistance are critical to continue ongoing recovery efforts and further stabilizing the island.” She encourages her colleagues to include H.R. 6809, the Puerto Rico Integrity in Medicare Advantage (PRIMA) Act, as part of any upcoming funding package. PRIMA will stabilize Medicare payments, incentivize doctors to remain in Puerto Rico, and invest in the island’s health care infrastructure.
MMAPA applauds Rep. González-Colón for her continued leadership on this issue and joins her in calling on Congress to pass PRIMA. A copy of the letter may be viewed here.
About MMAPA
The Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico (MMAPA) is a non-profit organization composed of the leading Medicaid and Medicare Advantage organizations in Puerto Rico. Founded in 2009, MMAPA is dedicated to promoting policy solutions to solve Puerto Rico’s health care challenges.
Media Contact: Jim David or Meghan Pennington Hamilton Place Strategies jdavid@hamiltonps.com / mpennington@hamiltonps.com
Comments