But there were no gifts for the Northern Mariana Islands and the other U.S. insular areas under the Christmas tree. The Senate bill did not have any of the consumer protections, the additional funding for Medicaid, or the option to participate in an insurance exchange that I and the other insular area members of Congress succeeded at getting into the health care bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed in July.
But we continue to fight to make sure that the benefits of affordable, accessible and high-quality health care reach our constituents. And we are not alone. Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez writing on behalf of the Hispanic Caucus, of which I am a member, told Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that Senate proposals for the U.S. territories are “clearly unjust and clash with the goal of providing access to care for all Americans.” The Congressional Black Caucus and Asian Pacific American Caucus hold the same view.
Leaders of the House and the Senate have been meeting with the President Obama at the White House daily — often late into the night — to craft a final bill that can pass in both the House and Senate. And last week Speaker Pelosi contacted me and assured me that my concern about fair treatment for the U.S. insular areas is being carefully considered.
The key provisions the House passed, which I want to see included in the final bill are:
• Dramatically increased funding for Medicaid in the Northern Marianas, adding up to almost $209 million over the next 10 years — four times more than we now receive.
• Eligibility for consumer protections for our citizens. Insurance companies could only slightly limit coverage for preexisting conditions, and children’s developmental health issues would be covered from birth.
• An option for the governor to cover FAS citizens under Medicaid, if the Governor determines that is in the best fiscal interest of the commonwealth.
• Finally, an option for the governor to expand access to health insurance by setting up an insurance exchange — as states will be required to do, with additional funding for the Northern Marianas to help individuals pay their insurance premiums. If an exchange would not work for the people of the Northern Marianas, the governor could instead add that money to Medicaid.
The expectation now is that the final bill, blending elements of the House and the Senate versions, will soon be ready for a vote. In the meantime, my colleagues Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico, Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands, Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa, and Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, and I continue to advocate for meaningful reform that includes Americans living in the insular areas. I know that, if we succeed, our citizens will have better health care, worthy of 21st century America.
GREGORIO “KILILI”
CAMACHO SABLAN
U.S. Congressman
