New Congress Deal Will Keep Puerto Rico’s Medicaid Program Funded

Members of Congress reached a deal Tuesday to fund Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program in a way that prevents it from running out of federal money by the end of the year and ensures stable funding for the next five years.

Ensuring consistent funding is crucial for the U.S. territory because of the way the money is allocated.

Unlike the states — where Medicaid funding is open ended and can more easily adjust to the needs of the population in times if crisis — Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories receive a fixed amount of funding, or allotment, with a spending cap that can fall well short of expenditures.

Read the source article at nbcnews.com