Max Baucus: “it has been more than 7 weeks since Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast--7 weeks. Nearly 1.5 million Americans have…”

“it has been more than 7 weeks since Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast--7 weeks. Nearly 1.5 million Americans have been displaced. Tens of thousands of these survivors have no health care coverage and no money to pay for care. It is high time for passage of the Grassley-Baucus Emergency Health Care Relief Act, S. 1716. On Monday, the Los Angeles Times ran a story on a 52-year-old schoolbus driver from New Orleans, Emanuel Wilson. Mr. Wilson survived Katrina, but his life is still at risk. Why? Because he has intestinal cancer and he has no health insurance. Mr. Wilson was getting monthly chemotherapy injections before the storm, but now he cannot get any health care. He lost his job and his health coverage because of Katrina, and he is ineligible to receive Medicaid. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, more than half of all hurricane evacuees still in Louisiana who sought Medicaid coverage since Katrina have been turned away. More than half were turned away. These are poor people. They aren't people with a lot of money. They are poor people. They can't get coverage because they do not meet the rigid eligibility guidelines under Federal Medicaid law. We need to relax those guidelines on a temporary basis, on an emergency basis, to help those survivors desperately in need. This morning, my staff met with Secretary Cerise, secretary of Louisiana's Department of Health and Hospitals. And Dr.…”