Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today the Congressional Health Caucus was joined by Governor Haley Barbour from Mississippi as part of our ``Thought Leaders Series.'' His leadership in health care in his home State is an example of how States can take a more prominent role and, in doing so, bend the cost curve in the correct direction. In the last fiscal year, Medicaid, which is a joint Federal and State program, cost our country more than $400 billion, and the price is only expected to increase in the years to come. Governor Barbour has been a leader in transforming Medicaid in his home State. He has made commonsense decisions to reduce rising drug costs to ensure that people who are enrolled in the program are, indeed, eligible for the program. Coordinated care and increased compliance all have led to improved outcomes. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will only compound the financial problems that States are facing. In 2014, States will see their Medicaid enrollments grow substantially when all people below 138 percent of the Federal poverty level will be covered. It is essential that we examine this and other parts of the Affordable Care Act to ensure that our States are not pushed into an even deeper budgetary crisis. ____________________”