The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration hosted a congressional briefing on Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program in July. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and Senior Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, was featured. “I appreciated the opportunity to help coordinate a health care briefing on Capitol Hill this week hosted by the Governor of Puerto Rico, my friend Jennifer Colón González,” he said as he began his remarks, noting “the unique health care challenges and needs facing Americans living in Puerto Rico.”
The current level Medicaid funding in the U.S. territory, which covers 1.3 million Puerto Ricans, is set to expire on September 30, 2026.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis
Rep. Bilirakis has a history of support for Puerto Rico. He represents a district with one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in the nation and has focused his attention on the Island more often than many members of Congress. He has spoken up for Puerto Rico on manufacturing, has supported Puerto Rico statehood, and has repeatedly championed equitable Medicaid funding for the Island.
Along with Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL), Bilirakis introduced H.R. 4406, the Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021. This bill, which did not become law, would have made improvements to Medicaid in the territories and increased funding.
Medicaid in Puerto Rico
A panel of experts presented information on the special concerns about Medicaid in Puerto Rico to an audience of both Republican and Democratic legislative staff and other interested parties. Panelists included Puerto Rico Secretary of Health Dr. Víctor Ramos; Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration (ASES) and Medicaid Director Carlos Santiago; Congressional Research Service (CRS) Health Financing Specialist Alison Mitchell; and Luis Pizarro, Chairman of the Health Committee and the Federal Affairs Educational Series of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
The panelists explained that Medicaid funding in Puerto Rico is capped, with lower than normal levels of reimbursement even up to the capped total. Since Puerto Rico has a higher poverty level than states, the proportion of the population receiving Medicaid is higher than in the states. Add to that the fact that Puerto Rico has an aging population and a higher rate of most chronic diseases, and the territory is left with greater need and fewer resources than the states.
“Ensuring access to affordable, high-quality health care is a priority we must continue to advance for all Americans, regardless of where they live,” said Bilirakis. “Puerto Rico’s residents deserve a health care system that provides reliable access to quality providers, innovative treatments, and the resources necessary to support healthy communities.”
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