Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel met with Lorenzo Gonzalez Feliciano, MD, the new Secretary of Health for Puerto Rico, in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss allowing Puerto Rico and the other American territories in the proposed health insurance exchange.

Currently, Puerto Rico and the other territories are eligible for participation in the health insurance exchange as part of the health care reform package voted on by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. However, the Senate Finance Committee and all three House committees did not make the territories eligible. Puerto Ricans are American citizens, and there are four million living on the island that could be affected by health care legislation. Another half a million live in other territories.

“I told the Secretary that I will do everything possible as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to have Puerto Rico and the other American territories take part in the health insurance exchange program. Puerto Rico and the territories deserve access to improved health care as much as the rest of the country does,” said Rep. Engel.

In addition to Puerto Rico, the other territories include American Samoa, Guam, the American Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas Islands.