Former administrator of the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration, Jorge Galva, clarified that the $100 million that Health Secretary Víctor Ramos said had been lost were federal ARPA funds, not money that flowed directly through Medicaid. Galva said he does not have enough information to confirm the alleged loss and that examining the handling of those funds would be necessary.
Separately, Galva addressed the investigations into the medical cannabis program after the Health secretary took control of that division’s communications. Galva indicated that, according to anonymous sources cited by news media, the double killing of lawyer Luis Quiñones and Félix Plaud may have accelerated the agency’s intervention. Nonetheless, Galva defended access to medical cannabis and said oversight should be aimed at correcting possible irregularities without affecting patients.