What This Bill Does
This bill removes funding limits on Medicaid (a government health insurance program) that currently apply to five U.S. territories. The bill changes rules in the Social Security Act that created these spending caps for the territories.
Who It Affects
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa are directly affected by this bill.
Key Provisions
• Removes the general Medicaid funding limitations (called a "cap") that currently apply to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa beginning in fiscal year 2023. (Sec. 2(a)(3))
• Updates Section 1108 of the Social Security Act to stop applying subsections (f) and (g) to the five named territories. (Sec. 2(a)(1) and (2))
• Removes a reference to the section 1108(f) limitation from Section 1902(j) of the Social Security Act. (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• Removes paragraph (4) from Section 1903(u) of the Social Security Act. (Sec. 2(b)(2))
What Changes
The five U.S. territories will no longer have funding caps placed on their Medicaid programs that other states face. The territories can receive federal Medicaid funding without being subject to the spending limitations described in subsections (f) and (g) of Section 1108.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
Effective Date
Fiscal year 2023.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 949
To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to eliminate the general Medicaid
funding limitations for territories of the United States, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Mr. SABLAN (for himself, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr.
TAKANO, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. TRONE, Mr. CASE, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms.
BONAMICI, Ms. MENG, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N,
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr.
MOYLAN, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. CHU, and Ms. NORTON) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
A BILL
To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to eliminate
the general Medicaid funding limitations for territories
of the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Insular Area Medicaid
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Parity Act’’.
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•HR 949 IH
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF GENERAL MEDICAID FUNDING
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LIMITATIONS (‘‘CAP’’) FOR TERRITORIES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1108 of the Social Secu-
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rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1308) is amended—
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(1) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding
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paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘subsection (g) and (h)’’
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and inserting ‘‘subsections (g), (h), and (i)’’;
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(2) in subsection (g)(2), in the matter pre-
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ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and para-
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graphs (3) and (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘, paragraphs (3)
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and (5), and subsection (i)’’; and
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(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
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section:
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‘‘(i) SUNSET
OF
MEDICAID
FUNDING
LIMITA-
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TIONS.—Subsections (f) and (g) shall not apply to Puerto
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Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Is-
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lands, and American Samoa beginning with fiscal year
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2023.’’.
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
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(1) Section 1902(j) of the Social Security Act
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(42 U.S.C. 1396a(j)) is amended by striking ‘‘, the
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limitation in section 1108(f),’’.
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(2) Section 1903(u) of the Social Security Act
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(42 U.S.C. 1396b(u)) is amended by striking para-
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graph (4).
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•HR 949 IH
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
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this section shall apply beginning with fiscal year 2023.
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Æ
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