WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1839, the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019. This package of bills includes short-term extensions of several key Medicaid programs that have previously passed the House on a bipartisan basis.
Included in this package is a short extension of the Excellence in Mental Health demonstration. This eight-state demonstration project allows community providers to expand access to treatment for mental and behavioral health, including addiction and is a continuation of our work on the opioid crisis. The package also ensures that The Money Follows the Person Program is extended through September. This important program helps transition individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities from institutions back into their local communities to get care and has proven widely successful.
“Today, the House took bipartisan action to pass an important package of bills to extend funding for a number of key Medicaid programs that upon which patients across the country rely." Walden and Burgess said. “While we would have preferred to extend these programs out further, today’s bipartisan vote speaks to the dedication of Members from both sides of the aisle to deliver necessary funding for these vital programs. Specifically, the inclusion of the ACE Kids Act ensures that children with complex health conditions receive the quality care they deserve. This is an important issue that can have a tremendous impact on improving the care for children and families most in need."
