Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata and each of the Members of Congress from four U.S. Territories joined together in a bipartisan letter to urge House leadership to renew the current Medicaid match rate for the territories.

American Samoa, along with the other territories, currently benefits from a temporary improvement to the FMAP rate based on the economic impacts of Covid-19. In the letter led by Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (CNMI) with Rep. Aumua Amata (American Samoa), Rep. Stacey Plaskett (USVI) and Rep. Michael San Nicolas (Guam), the Members of Congress called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Chair Rosa DeLauro, and Ranking Member Kay Granger to continue this rate.

 “In any continuing resolution or omnibus appropriation for Fiscal Year 2023, we ask that you extend the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for the territories established in U.S.P.L. 116-94,” they state. “Such an extension was included in Division P Title II Section 201 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (U.S.P.L 117-103), and previous continuing resolutions for which we are most grateful.”

They continue, “The FMAP agreed in U.S.P.L. 116-94 and already extended four times remains critical for delivery of Medicaid healthcare services to the people we represent in the U.S. insular areas, especially during the continuing pandemic and related economic downturn in our districts.” They conclude, “Thank you for your understanding and leadership.”

In 2019, after years of a standard 55-45 percent split, Congress passed an increase in the federal match to 83 percent for American Samoa, the best non-emergency rate in the nation, higher than any of the 50 states. Representatives of the territories and their governments worked together on this priority. During the Covid restrictions, Congress temporarily boosted that rate another six points to 89.3 percent, a rate that has been extended several times.

 “American Samoa’s local economy has not fully recovered, with impacts ranging from reduced tourism to inflation and increased shipping costs,” noted Aumua Amata. “I greatly appreciate working together with my colleagues to continue to support our territories in ensuring health care access for our people.”