‘CNMI healthcare in deep water from 2019’

The CNMI received about $100 million in funding because of the Affordable Care Act, derided among Republicans as Obamacare.

Once that amount is depleted and the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is repealed—as promised by the Republican Party—the CNMI will be left treading deep water, according to CNMI Medicaid director Helen Sablan.

Donald J. Trump rose to become U.S. President on a campaign promise to repeal the ACA. Now that Trump is already in office, the first step to dismantle this legacy of the Obama administration, ACA, is just around the corner.

According to Sablan, the CNMI has been benefitting from additional funding provided by the ACA. The funding has been constantly used since 2011. Since then, the $100 million, which has been used to fun the medical treatment of patients that need off-island health care, is almost completely depleted.

“We already pretty much used up about $75 million,” said Sablan.

She said the $100 million ACA funding is divided annually based on expenses of the previous fiscal year. The ACA funding is set to last up to 2019. Sablan believes that the CNMI would start to feel the effects of not having additional ACA funds starting 2019 onwards.

“We are spending over $18 million a year. With just the regular funds that we are getting, it would not be enough,” she said.

“We may have to limit opening up to the private clinics again,” she added.

The private clinics that accept Medicaid patients are Saipan Health Clinic, Pacific Medical Center, and Marianas Medical Center.

“In our state plan, [ACA] is just limited to the hospital unless the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña requests us that they need the help of private clinics,” said Sablan.

In an earlier interview, Muña told Saipan Tribune that she is hopeful that the new administration recognizes the “disparity in Medicaid funds for the CNMI and the territories and ensure funds will be available for eligible indigent care.”

Muña said that repealing ACA would affect Medicaid supplemental funding and eliminate Public Health Prevention Funds that provides funding for immunization, home visits, epidemiology and laboratory funds, and some community health center funds.

“It means the services covered by this funding may stop unless the CNMI and CHCC can identify funds that replaces them,” she said.

Muña added that limitation of Medicaid funds means there is less money to pay both public and private healthcare providers.

“While CHCC will not deny services, private providers can,” she said.