Political Quotes

“I rise this morning to discuss the issue of Federal support for health care in Puerto Rico and the other U.S. territories. This is a story of unprecedented progress, but it is also a chronicle of continuing challenges. While the treatment of the territories under Federal health care programs has substantially improved in recent years, serious disparities still remain. The consequence of these inequalities is not difficult to discern. Last month, a study found that patients at hospitals in the territories fared significantly worse than patients at hospitals in the States. The study cited funding disparities under Medicaid and Medicare along with the territories' lack of voting representation in the Federal Government as likely causes for these discrepancies. The study concluded that ``eliminating the substantial quality gap in the U.S. territories should be a national priority.'' Consider Medicaid, which helps our most vulnerable citizens. Medicaid has always operated differently in the territories. The Federal Government pays at least 50 percent of the program's cost in the wealthiest States and upwards of 80 percent in the poorest States. By contrast, Federal law imposes an annual cap on funding in the territories. Historically, Puerto Rico's cut was so low that the Federal Government paid less than 20 percent of Medicaid costs on the island in any given year.…”