Torres seeks additional Medicaid benefits

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has sought the assistance of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II in providing additional assistance to the CNMI Medicaid program, after the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Yutu last October.

Yutu, aside from damaging homes and other infrastructure (both private and public), gravely affected the CNMI’s economy after projections are showing that revenues will be reduced. The CNMI government was also forced to lower its budget projection by 4.7 percent—a loss of $12,048,000.

The CNMI government has also fronted the costs for relief and recovery but will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the first batch of federal money expected to come next month.

“We have initiated planning for the implementation of austerity based on the reduction in financial revenues. While we have been working hard to recover from [Yutu], and appreciate efforts of the [U.S.] Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, the overall and full financial recovery will take years. We are also hopeful for a quick recovery, but we remain wary of a further reduction in government revenues and slower return to normalcy,” said Torres.

He added that his administration hopes HHS would give the CNMI’s Medicaid beneficiaries the same assistance it gave to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands when both U.S. territories were also hit by disasters.

“We are in need of an increase of funding for a period of time. We have studied the significant assistance provided to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and are committed to making reasonable and appropriate progress to achieve the same objectives to submit data to the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System and to establish a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit,” said Torres.

He said his administration is hoping to get the support of President Donald J. Trump. “[Hopefully] that President Trump will encourage [U.S.] Congress to address the needs of the territories by applying the statutory requirements equal to the states for Medical Assistance Program and the Federal Matching Assistance Percentage.”

“The CNMI will have completely expended the last of the funds under the Affordable Care Act during this quarter and the Medicaid program is planning to severely curtail services that will directly affect our beneficiaries and our fragile health system.”