Congress Passes Government Funding with Medicaid Extension

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata hailed passage of government funding that secures American Samoa’s federal matching rate for Medicaid. Known as a Continuing Resolution, the legislation passed the House, then attracted bipartisan support in the Senate and was promptly signed into law by President Biden.

This action funds the U.S. government until December 16, 2022. Congress will consider major appropriations in November for 2023.

“Under this legislation, our Medicaid federal rate is secure, and we will continue to work to ensure it is included once again in the next round of appropriations,” said Aumua Amata. “The territories have been most successful on issues like Medicaid when we work together.”

In September, each of the Members of Congress from four U.S. Territories joined together in a bipartisan letter to urge congressional leadership to renew the rate for the territories, as this legislation does.

In 2019, after years of a standard 55-45 percent split, Congress increased the rate for American Samoa to 83 percent, which is the best non-emergency rate in the nation, more than any of the 50 states.

A separate Biden administration action in 2021 based on a presidential Covid emergency declaration, raised that federal share additionally to more than 6 points higher, over 89 percent. The Biden administration has signaled another possible extension, as the President has done before in several 90-day increments.

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