April 2, 2008
States Give Support to Further Delaying New Medicaid Regulations
Assemblyman Herb Conaway Jr to Testify on Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. 5613, Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008
Subcommittee on Health Hearing
10:00 a.m., Thursday, April 3, in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Connect to the Video Webcast (128 kbps) (Closed Captioned)
WASHINGTON - States face one certainty with the seven pending, proposed or implemented Medicaid regulations—they will shift costs to states. The Office of Management and Budget estimates the cost shifts could reach $15 billion in five years.
Tomorrow, New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway, chairman of the National Conference of State Legislature's Standing Committee on Health, will testify before members of the House in support of the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008, a bill that would delay implementing the seven proposed Medicaid rules for a year.
"Unless the economy vastly improves over the next several months, states can anticipate a surge in Medicaid enrollment that will be extremely difficult to support," Assemblyman Conaway said. "With this in mind, we urge Congress to include a provision establishing emergency assistance to states within the Medicaid statute. This would provide states additional financial assistance in times of an emergency or unforeseen disaster."
Earlier this year, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey and Oklahoma filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging one of these rules that restricts reimbursement for targeted case management services. Recently, NCSL President and Delaware Rep. Donna Stone met with the White House to call for their support of a regulatory delay.
In his testimony, Assemblyman Conaway is asking Congress for:
(1) stability in Medicaid policy and financing;
(2) an end to regulatory activism that circumvents the legislative process; and
(3) transparency in the policymaking process.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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