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Obama Zika plan includes insular Medicaid relief
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Barack Obama has proposed $1.9 billion in emergency spending to deal with the spread of the Zika virus, including improvements in the Medicaid program in the U.S. insular areas.
The President sent his proposal in a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on Monday. The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito bite and cases have already been reported in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Infection of pregnant women has been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect.
“We should be grateful we have not yet seen a case of Zika in the Northern Mariana Islands,” said Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Ind-MP). “But clearly tropical areas of the United States, such as our islands, are on the front line of risk.
“I thank the President for taking steps now to stop the spread of this disease and help keep the Marianas safe.
“I will certainly be supporting his proposal.”
Among the President’s recommendations to Congress is $246 million to cover the cost of increasing the federal share of Medicaid in the insular areas. Currently, the federal government pays 55 percent of the cost of this health insurance program for low-income people. The President’s Zika proposal lifts the federal share to 65 percent for one year.
Although the total amount of federal spending for Medicaid in the insular areas is capped, the extra federal share the President proposes would not count against the capped amount. The $246 million would be additional, new money.
The President also wants $828 million for the Centers for Disease Control to prevent, detect, and respond to the Zika virus and other emerging infectious diseases. The $225 million would be specifically set aside for grants and technical assistance to the insular areas, where the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry the virus are known to occur. CDC would also support active surveillance for Zika virus infections in pregnant women. (Office of the CNMI Delegate)
