{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-prioriza-gestiones-en-el-congreso-para-evitar-precipicio", "Comisionado Residente prioriza gestiones en el Congreso para evitar precipicio de Medicaid en Puerto Rico", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Ante la discusi\u00f3n p\u00fablica sobre el financiamiento de Medicaid en Puerto Rico, el Comisionado Residente Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez encabez\u00f3 una sesi\u00f3n informativa que reuni\u00f3 a expertos en salud, personal congresional de ambos partidos y representantes de sectores vinculados a Medicaid, para elevar la urgencia del tema en Washington y adelantar el trabajo necesario para atender el precipicio fiscal de 2027.\n\nLa sesi\u00f3n reuni\u00f3 en una misma mesa a expertos del Congressional Research Service (CRS), la Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), el Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) y la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Adem\u00e1s cont\u00f3 con representantes de la Asociaci\u00f3n de Hospitales de Puerto Rico, el Colegio de M\u00e9dicos Cirujanos de Puerto Rico, la Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico (MMAPA) y otros representantes de la industria de salud en Puerto Rico. La sesi\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n cont\u00f3 con la participaci\u00f3n del exgobernador Luis Fortu\u00f1o, Dr. Carlos R. Mellado L\u00f3pez, exsecretario del Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico, Eduardo Bhatia, expresidente del Senado de Puerto Rico, y representantes de la Administraci\u00f3n de Asuntos Federales de Puerto Rico (PRFAA).\n\nLa sesi\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n cont\u00f3 con la participaci\u00f3n de los representantes: H\u00e9ctor Ferrer, portavoz del Partido Popular Democr\u00e1tico (PPD) en la C\u00e1mara de Representantes de Puerto Rico; Domingo Torres Garc\u00eda del Distrito 25 y portavoz alterno del PPD; Sol Higgins Cuadrado del Distrito 35 y miembro de la Comisi\u00f3n de Salud; y Estrella Mart\u00ednez Soto del Distrito 27.\n\nLos panelistas explicaron al personal congresional qu\u00e9 est\u00e1 en juego de cara al precipicio fiscal de 2027, desde el impacto sobre pacientes y proveedores hasta la informaci\u00f3n que el Congreso necesitar\u00e1 para evaluar una soluci\u00f3n legislativa.\n\n\u201cEstamos priorizando lo b\u00e1sico: la salud. Necesitamos que el Congreso entienda que est\u00e1 en juego el acceso a la salud de m\u00e1s de un mill\u00f3n de puertorrique\u00f1os. Por eso reunimos a expertos, proveedores y representantes del sector de salud de Puerto Rico con personal congresional de ambos partidos.\u201d, dijo el Comisionado Residente.\n\nEl financiamiento actual de Medicaid sostiene gran parte de Plan Vital, que brinda cubierta de salud a alrededor de 1.2 millones de personas en Puerto Rico. Las disposiciones vigentes, que incluyen un pareo federal de 76%, vencen el 30 de septiembre de 2027. Sin una nueva acci\u00f3n del Congreso, la asignaci\u00f3n federal podr\u00eda caer de aproximadamente $3,800 billones al a\u00f1o a cerca de $500 millones y el pareo regresar\u00eda a 55%.\n\nLas posibles consecuencias de ese escenario han sido documentadas por distintos sectores. Un an\u00e1lisis de Espacios Abiertos estima que entre 700,000 y un mill\u00f3n de personas podr\u00edan perder su cubierta de Plan Vital si no se reautorizan los fondos, mientras representantes del sector hospitalario han advertido sobre el impacto que tendr\u00eda una reducci\u00f3n de esa magnitud sobre la capacidad de prestar servicios de salud en Puerto Rico.\n\nEl reto no se limita a evitar una reducci\u00f3n de fondos, sino a lograr que cualquier propuesta ante el Congreso est\u00e9 sustentada por datos s\u00f3lidos sobre gastos, matr\u00edcula, necesidades del sistema y proyecciones futuras. El Comisionado Residente contin\u00faa trabajando con colegas en legislaci\u00f3n para atender el precipicio mientras recopila la informaci\u00f3n necesaria para sustentar ese esfuerzo.\n\nLa falta de acci\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n podr\u00eda tener consecuencias fuera de Puerto Rico. El Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) ha advertido anteriormente que una insuficiencia de fondos de Medicaid en la isla puede aumentar el gasto federal s\u00ed beneficiarios elegibles se trasladan a los estados, donde Medicaid no est\u00e1 sujeto al mismo l\u00edmite federal que enfrenta Puerto Rico.\n\nHaz clic AQU\u00cd para ver fotos y videos del evento.\n\nRELEASE\n\nHern\u00e1ndez Elevates Puerto Rico Medicaid Crisis Before Congress Ahead of 2027 Funding Cliff.\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2014 With new estimates warning that Puerto Rico could lose nearly 90 percent of its federal Medicaid funding after September 2027, Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez convened congressional staff and health policy experts to put the Island\u2019s looming Medicaid funding cliff before Congress and begin building the groundwork for action.\n\nThe briefing brought together experts from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), and the University of Puerto Rico. It also included representatives from the Puerto Rico Hospital Association, the Puerto Rico College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico (MMAPA), and other leaders from Puerto Rico\u2019s health care sector. The briefing also included participation from former Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortu\u00f1o, Eduardo Bhatia, former President of the Puerto Rico Senate, and Dr. Carlos R. Mellado L\u00f3pez, former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health, and representatives from the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA).\n\nThe session also included the participation of Representatives H\u00e9ctor Ferrer, spokesperson for the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives; Domingo Torres Garc\u00eda of District 25 and alternate spokesperson for the PPD; Sol Higgins Cuadrado of District 35 and a member of the House Health Committee; and Estrella Mart\u00ednez Soto of District 27.\n\nPanelists briefed congressional staff on what is at stake ahead of the 2027 Medicaid funding cliff, including the potential impact on patients and providers and the information Congress will need to evaluate a legislative solution.\n\n\u201cWe are prioritizing the basics: health care. Congress needs to understand that access to health care for more than one million Puerto Ricans is at stake. That is why we brought together experts, providers, and representatives from Puerto Rico\u2019s health care sector with congressional staff from both parties,\u201d said Hern\u00e1ndez.\n\nCurrent Medicaid funding supports a significant portion of Plan Vital, which provides health coverage to approximately 1.2 million people in Puerto Rico. The current funding provisions, including a 76 percent federal matching rate, expire on September 30, 2027. Without further congressional action, annual federal funding could fall from approximately $3.8 billion to roughly $500 million, while the federal matching rate would return to 55 percent.\n\nThe potential consequences of such a reduction have been documented by multiple stakeholders. An analysis by Espacios Abiertos estimates that between 700,000 and one million people could lose Plan Vital coverage if current funding is not reauthorized, while representatives of Puerto Rico\u2019s hospital sector have warned that a reduction of this magnitude could significantly affect the health care system\u2019s ability to provide services.\n\nThe challenge extends beyond preventing a funding reduction. Any proposal brought before Congress will need to be supported by reliable data on expenditures, enrollment, the needs of Puerto Rico\u2019s health care system, and future projections. Hern\u00e1ndez continues working with colleagues on legislation to address the 2027 funding cliff while gathering the information necessary to support that effort.\n\nInaction could also have consequences beyond Puerto Rico. MACPAC has previously noted that insufficient Medicaid funding in Puerto Rico could increase federal Medicaid spending if eligible beneficiaries move to the states, where Medicaid is not subject to the same federal funding cap that applies to Puerto Rico.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-prioriza-gestiones-en-el-congreso-para-evitar-precipicio"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8940668776631355, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}