Robin Carnahan: “I felt compelled to discuss the matter because of what was at stake, the future of Missouri's Medicaid program. Medicaid…”

“I felt compelled to discuss the matter because of what was at stake, the future of Missouri's Medicaid program. Medicaid is a partnership between the Federal Government and the States to provide healthcare services to our most vulnerable citizens-- low-income children and seniors. Unfortunately, the Federal partner, CMS, is behaving irresponsibly. Since I last spoke about this issue on the Senate floor, CMS Administrator Tom Scully escalated the dispute to an unprecedented level. Not only unprecedented, but dangerous. On November 29, he sent a harshly toned letter to Governor Holden that called Missouri's tax on hospitals illegal and threatened to withhold $1.6 billion from the State. I am here today to call attention to an agency that is out of control. At a time when States are struggling to maintain service due to the recession, this agency has threatened to devastate Missouri's health care safety net. At a time when States and the Federal Government should be working for the common good, CMS is ignoring its own laws and regulations.”