Pallone Touts Medicaid Policy Provisions He Fought for in the Omnibus
Key Provisions Include Continuous Coverage for Children, Permanent Option for 12 months Postpartum Coverage, Two Years Additional CHIP Funding, and Higher Medicaid Funding for the U.S. Territories
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today highlighting important Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provisions that he fought to include in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus government funding package:
"The omnibus is full of incredibly important policy victories for Medicaid that will make meaningful differences in the lives of Americans. I'm thrilled that so many important policies made it into the final agreement and incredibly proud of Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats' leadership championing these proposals throughout negotiations.
"I'm ecstatic that Medicaid and CHIP will now offer 12 months of continuous coverage for children to ensure that the 40 million children on Medicaid and CHIP have uninterrupted access to health care throughout the year. Thanks to this provision, and the additional two years of funding secured in this agreement for CHIP, our kids will no longer be subject to fluctuations in coverage that endangers their health and well-being.
"The omnibus also makes the option for states to offer 12 months of postpartum coverage permanent, which I hope all states will adopt to ensure new moms have access to health care in the critical first year after delivery. It's shameful that the United States ranks as the worst place in the developed world on maternal mortality, and this provision is a key tool in our ongoing effort to address this crisis. I'm hopeful it will be quickly adopted nationwide.
"We also reached a historic bipartisan agreement to extend the higher 76 percent federal match for Puerto Rico for five years, providing much-needed stability and resources to help ensure access to care. In addition, we secured agreement to make the higher federal match of 83 percent permanent for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"Finally, I'm pleased to see that the omnibus includes important language that will allow incarcerated juveniles to gain access to important screenings, diagnostics, and case management services prior to release to assist with access to care and treatment during that critical transition period.
"I'm grateful to Democrats for working hard to include these important provisions in the final omnibus text and look forward to seeing them signed into law by President Biden soon."
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