Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to rise in support of H.R. 1839, the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act, a bill that will strengthen our healthcare system by putting patients first.

I am an emergency physician, and as a doctor I have treated patients who, because they couldn't afford the care they needed, slipped through the cracks, worsening their quality of life, harming themselves and their families, and sometimes ending up in the emergency department for lifesaving care.

This bill makes five essential reforms to Medicaid that put patients first, helping children and individuals with mental health issues access the care that they need.

The bill's first reform reflects the hard work and tireless efforts of my friend, Representative Dingell, who has led the fight to extend Medicaid spousal impoverishment protections. Thanks to Representative Dingell's advocacy, patients will be able to afford treatment and services without bankrupting their spouses.

Without this important protection, families would face a terrible choice between either unnecessary institutionalization or impoverishing themselves to ensure that their loved one receives the care that they need.

I would also like to thank Congressman Upton for championing this important policy.

Second, my bill would provide additional funds to the successful Money Follows the Person demonstration. This funding will help more individuals transition from institutions to the communities they call home. I wanted to thank Representatives Dingell and Guthrie for their advocacy on behalf of the patients and families who continue to benefit from this successful program.

Third, this bill includes the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act, bipartisan legislation that gives States the flexibility to coordinate the most effective care for children with medically complex needs. The ACE Kids Act would not be possible without the sustained advocacy and hard work of Congresswoman Castor.

Representative Castor is an incredible advocate for some of our most vulnerable children and their families and has spent years championing this bill. I also want to thank my friend, Representative Bilirakis, for continuing to fight to ensure that our sickest kids have access to health homes.

Fourth, this bill contains important program integrity improvements to Medicaid, fixes that will save money and make Medicaid run more efficiently and effectively without sacrificing quality of care for patients.

That includes legislation championed by Representatives Schrader and Welch to crack down on drug companies cheating the Medicaid program by not paying proper rebates on their drugs. The bill also gives the Department of Health and Human Services the tools it needs to hold ill- intentioned pharmaceutical companies accountable, while ensuring that patients who depend on these drugs continue to have access to them.

Fifth, and finally, this bill extends funding for the Excellence in Mental Health Act, so that people who are struggling with mental health and substance use disorders can continue receiving the treatment they need. The extension will help Congress find a longer-term solution so that this program can continue providing care to the people who need it.

I would like to thank Representative Matsui for her continued hard work to support this demonstration. In brief, this bipartisan bill strengthens Medicaid by putting patients first. It was the approach I took as a doctor in the emergency department, and one I am continuing to take in Congress.

I know this bill will make our healthcare system stronger and more equitable, and I am proud to lead this critical effort.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1839, the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, H.R. 1839. I really thank all the Members who put their heart and soul into their pieces of legislation. I thank the staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee, both Democratic and Republican, who have come together to work to plug a hole, to fill in the cracks, and to make sure that services continue, that value is given, and that healthcare puts our patients first, our kids first, so that we can give them the appropriate care that they deserve, no matter where they are from or whether or not they can afford it.

This is why I am so humbled to carry the water on this bill. On behalf of myself, my staff, and my office, I thank everybody involved in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bipartisan bill, H.R. 1839, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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