Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández led a briefing in Washington on the future of Medicaid funding in Puerto Rico, bringing together health experts, bipartisan congressional staff, and health-sector representatives. The session addressed the so-called 2027 fiscal cliff and its potential impact if federal funding for the program is reduced. Participants included experts from the Congressional Research Service, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the University of Puerto Rico, along with representatives from the Puerto Rico Hospital Association, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Puerto Rico, and the Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico.
Also attending were former Governor Luis Fortuño, former Health Secretary Carlos R. Mellado López, former Senate President Eduardo Bhatia, PRFAA representatives, and legislators Héctor Ferrer, Domingo Torres García, Sol Higgins Cuadrado, and Estrella Martínez Soto. Hernández said Congress must understand that health access for over one million Puerto Ricans is at stake.
Current Medicaid funding largely sustains Plan Vital, covering roughly 1.2 million people. Existing provisions, including a 76% federal match, expire September 30, 2027; without new congressional action, federal funding could fall from about $3.8 billion annually to roughly $500 million, with the match dropping to 55%.