Yesterday, the Council of State Governments’ Eastern
Regional Conference (CSG/ERC) sent
a letter calling on Congressional leaders to protect and support the
50-year, successful state-federal Medicaid partnership. CSG/ERC is comprised of state policymaker
members from eleven Northeastern states from Maine to Maryland as well as the
U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and five eastern Canadian provinces. Signed by
ERC Co-Chairs Sen. Terry Gerratana and Rep. Kevin Ryan (CT) the letter notes
that state legislators represent the same constituents as members of Congress.
As the letter points out, “For over fifty years, Medicaid
has been a beacon of effective state and federal collaboration. The program
delivers critical preventive and acute care services to one in five residents
of our region. Medicaid serves the needs of the most fragile Americans,
provides financial security for families, and is a cornerstone of state health
systems and economies.” The letter follows an ERC
Resolution passed last December also supporting the Medicaid state-federal
partnership.
