SR143

A Senate Resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs and condemning a State Medicaid per capita cap.

Whereas, Medicaid and Medicare were enacted as Title XVII and XIX of the Social Security Act and are government health insurance programs; and

Whereas, The Medicaid program is a means-tested program jointly funded by the federal and state governments. Medicaid recipients must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, and may include low-income adults, low-income children, parents of Medicaid eligible children, pregnant women, low-income senior citizens, and people with certain disabilities; and

Whereas, The program provides matching funds to states for health insurance coverage for eligible residents whose incomes and resources are insufficient to meet the costs of necessary medical services; and

Whereas, 1.5 million senior citizens, low-income adults, pregnant women, children, and people with disabilities, almost one in every five residents in New Jersey, are enrolled in the Medicaid program, and New Jersey receives the 10th largest amount of federal Medicaid funding in the country; and

Whereas, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for Americans aged 65 and older, certain people with disabilities, and those with certain medical conditions; and

Whereas, In 2010, Medicare provided health insurance to 48 million Americans, 40 million who are 65 years of age and older and eight million with disabilities who are under the age of 65, and 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries reside in the New Jersey; and

Whereas, New Jersey retirees receive the highest annual benefits from Social Security at $15,912 and, because of its highest-in-the nation medical costs, the largest average Medicare benefit at $11,903, and one of every three elderly New Jerseyans avoids poverty because of the Social Security benefits they receive; and

Whereas, Some Medicare beneficiaries are dual-eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid programs; and

Whereas, In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has proposed a plan to limit federal health care funding under the State Medicaid program and implement a Medicaid per capita cap which would place a per-person funding cap on each Medicaid recipient in the State; and

Whereas, This cap would result in a loss of about $15 billion in federal funding for New Jersey over eight years, the largest such reduction in the State's history; and

Whereas, Limiting federal health care spending would force New Jersey to offset the loss of funds by: terminating insurance coverage for many of its vulnerable citizens; reducing benefits and increasing co-pays to those who would still be eligible for Medicaid services; and reducing already low reimbursement rates to Medicaid providers; and

Whereas, As a result of the Governor's decision to agree to accept Medicaid expansion, New Jersey has received an additional $2 billion in federal aid and saved $400 million annually in State funds. These savings have helped New Jersey balance it budget; and

Whereas, A per capita cap would jeopardize the advances the State has made in expanding Medicaid coverage to an additional 500,000 State residents, and would reduce federal Medicaid spending by 23 percent through 2023; and

Whereas, If the Governor's per capita cap proposal is approved, the State could lose approximately $3 billion a year in federal Medicaid funds; and

Whereas, The federal Medicaid and Medicare programs have been providing low-income families, pregnant women, senior citizens, and people with disabilities with health insurance for 50 years; and

Whereas, In order to mark this historic milestone, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has sponsored activities highlighting the ways the programs have transformed the nation’s health care system and provided millions of Americans with access to affordable and quality health care; and

Whereas, In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs, the New Jersey Legislature is respectfully urged to voice its strong support for the preservation of the State's Medicaid and Medicare programs and to condemn the implementation of a per capita cap, as proposed by Governor Christie, limiting federal health care funding under the State's Medicaid program; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. The New Jersey Legislature is respectfully urged to recognize the 50th anniversary of the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs, voice its strong support for the preservation of the State's Medicaid and Medicare programs, and condemn the implementation of a per capita cap, as proposed by Governor Christie, limiting federal health care funding under the State's Medicaid program.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor and the Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

STATEMENT

This Senate resolution respectfully urges the New Jersey Legislature to recognize the 50th anniversary of the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs, voice its strong support for the preservation of the State's Medicaid and Medicare programs, and to condemn the implementation of a per capita cap, as proposed by Governor Christie, limiting federal health care funding under the State's Medicaid program.