Healthcare

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata highlighted the introduction this week of legislation directing Medicaid funding to American Samoa for the next eight years. Congresswoman Amata is an original cosponsor of this key bill, which locks in the nation's best non-emergency federal matching rate, known as FMAP, at 83 percent for the next eight years. That rate is only higher at times for short-term emergency purposes. The bill is titled the Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021, H.R.

Washington, D.C. – Saturday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata welcomed an agreement in Congress to move forward with legislation that would stabilize Medicaid funding for the Territories through an eight-year plan for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Puerto Rico gains stable funding for five years.

Washington, D.C. – Friday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata welcomes a recent action by the House Appropriations Committee to increase funding for ASG Operations by $2.5 million at Amata's request. This recommended increase would bring total grants for ASG Operations to $27,120,000 and builds on Amata's past requests to the Committee toward a fifth straight increase. Over the past four years, Amata has requested increases of $250,000, $718,000, $400,000, and $500,000.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata last week, as part of a series of meetings while she was in Honolulu, also met with the leadership of the Spark M. Matsunaga Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) Medical Center associated with Tripler Army Medical Center that serves so many Veterans from American Samoa.

Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is pleased to welcome a federal grant worth $583,215 for American Samoa. The federal grant, awarded through the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is part of the National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities. The initiative aims to address health disparities across America which put certain communities at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata worked with sponsor Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, colleagues from the Territories and other key Members of Congress in introducing legislation together to better provide equitable treatment for U.S. territories in federal health care (programs like Medicaid and Medicare), named the Territories Health Equity Act of 2021 (H.R. 3434).

Washington, D.C. – Monday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata welcomed a $100,000 health grant from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress this year and signed into law in March.

The discretionary grant to the American Samoa Department of Health for home visiting is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is pleased to welcome a Pacific Basin health grant for the American Samoa Department of Health of over $3.1 million.

The discretionary grant for Health Centers, specifically $3,151,597, is through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).