|
This week in the Energy and Commerce Committee, a full committee hearing
was held regarding the National Governor’s Association’s (NGA) bipartisan
preliminary recommendations for comprehensive Medicaid reform. Due
to the fiscal constraints of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget, Congress is being
pushed toward a $10 billion cut for Medicaid over the next ten years.
As a result, Medicaid reform has topped the NGA’s legislative agenda.
Governor Mike Huckabee, Vice Chairman of the NGA, testified before the
House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
As a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, one of my top priorities is restoring
fiscal discipline and responsibility to our nation’s government.
However, there are some programs, like Medicaid, that are essential to
the health of many Americans, and funding cuts are out of the question.
Medicaid, providing critical health care services for low-income children,
the elderly, and the disabled, must be preserved.
We need to find ways to protect Medicaid and make it a better program
from a policy perspective, not a budget cutting perspective. Recent
numbers show that there are 717,000 Medicaid cases in our state.
That is one in five people in Arkansas who receive Medicaid. Over
half of Arkansas children are on Medicaid or have received Medicaid services
this year. Close to 80% of nursing home residents are paid for by
Medicaid compared to the national statistic of 55%. We must not leave
behind those who rely on Medicaid to live.
It is crucial that any changes or reforms to this program do not come
at the expense of the necessary benefits on which American citizens depend.
Changes that have the potential to shift these beneficiaries out of the
program will only add to the number of uninsured and result in increased
illnesses and higher health care costs at both the state and federal levels.
Last February, I met with Governor Mike Huckabee, and he expressed concerns
regarding the sustainability of Medicaid and the impact of any reduction
of federal assistance with administering the program. I welcome the
opportunity to work with Governor Huckabee and the NGA to ensure that Medicaid
is protected and preserved and will continue to provide critical health
care services for future generations of Americans and to those who need
it most. |
|