Watson Coleman: “I rise in support of the Mikulski- Coleman-Klobuchar amendment to place a moratorium on CMS's December 4 rule on…”

“I rise in support of the Mikulski- Coleman-Klobuchar amendment to place a moratorium on CMS's December 4 rule on Medicaid case management services. Last night, Senator Mikulski--and I joined with her--and Senator Klobuchar offered this case management legislation as an amendment to the Indian health bill being debated on the floor. I begin by saying I fully understand the fiscal challenges our entitlement programs face, and I look forward to the day when we can put politics aside and have an honest and productive discussion about how to preserve these programs for future generations. I think we can all agree that the goal of that conversation is to find a delicate balance between fiscal responsibility and making sure our Nation's most vulnerable populations still have access to the health care services they so desperately need. Unfortunately, when it comes to the case management rule, while I support CMS's intent to cut out wasteful spending, it is clear to me that it fails to achieve this delicate balance. I cannot think of a better way to describe case management than to say it is the glue that holds together our Nation's Medicaid system.”