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Medicaid
FMAP Extension in Jeopardy: Draft Letter to Governors
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As reported Friday in the AAP Department of Federal Affairs Federal
Legislative Update, the US House of Representatives has removed the
extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-increased
federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) from a federal tax
"extenders" package currently in Congress. This increased FMAP
has been vital in helping states maintain their Medicaid programs during
the state fiscal crisis; its extension would continue much-needed fiscal
relief to state Medicaid programs for 6 additional months.
Many
states have been counting on the extension of this FMAP increase in their
FY 2011 state budgets. As federal health care reform includes a
maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement for state Medicaid programs with
respect to eligibility and enrollment, it is likely that failing to
extend the FMAP increase now will result in further state cuts to
Medicaid payment.
Governors
play a critical role in the debate over this issue, as an extension of
the FMAP increase will significantly benefit state coffers. AAP chapters
are encouraged to use the attached draft
letter to your governor (to be placed on AAP
chapter letterhead) to advocate on this issue, encouraging him/her to
reach out to Congress and the Administration on this critical issue.
Chapters
with questions are encouraged to contact Dan Walter in the
Division of State Government Affairs at 800/433-9016 ext 4086 or
dwalter@aap.org.
The Division of State Government Affairs sends this update
to the Academy's Executive Committee, Board of Directors, District Vice
Chairs, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Vice Presidents, Chapter Legislative
Contacts, Committee on State Government Affairs, Committee on Federal
Government Affairs, Chapter Executive Directors, and other interested AAP
members and staff.
For additional state legislative information, strategy suggestions,
in-depth resources on issues of pediatric interest, and past editions of
this update, log onto the AAP
Member Center
and see the State Government Affairs area at http://www.aap.org/moc/stgovaffairs.
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