MEDICAL referral patients have been notified by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. about the suspension of their subsistence allowance, according to Sen. Paul A. Manglona.
During a Senate session on Tuesday, Manglona said one of these patients is in Hawaii where the individual underwent surgery and is now undergoing rehabilitation.
Manglona expressed hope that the Senate through its Fiscal Affairs Committee “can do something about these very serious concern[s].”
In response, Senate Vice President Donald M. Manglona, who chairs the Fiscal Affairs Committee, said CHCC and CNMI Medicaid are working on an “option.” He did not elaborate.
In her letter to the governor last week, CHCC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Esther L. Muna said in light of the insufficient funding for the Health Network Program, previously known as the medical referral program, the hospital has taken steps to “forewarn” CNMI patients about the “pause” in subsistence allowance until CHCC receives the funding appropriated in Saipan Local Law 23-1.
S.L.L. 23-1 appropriates $250,000 of the $800,000 in annual amusement machine license fees on Saipan for the stipends of medical referral patients.
Sen. Paul Manglona said “it is incumbent upon the Senate committee to sit down and see how we can plan so that we can at least discuss this shortfall.”
Paul A. Manglona
