Washington, D.C. — Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) today (Thursday, Jan. 14) joined 4 of his colleagues to call for an extension of the increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which would result in $430 million in additional funding to support Medical Assistance, the state’s Medicaid program.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided $87 billion in fiscal relief to states through an increase in FMAP funds. This relief helped stabilize state and local economies and protected against deep job losses during the recession. It is set to terminate Dec. 31, 2010, when the recession adjustment period ends.
“Minnesota can’t afford to lose $430 million in the middle of one of the toughest economic periods we’ve seen as a state,” said Sen. Franken. “Medicaid relief has been a very effective source of economic stability during this time of uncertainty and I’ll fight to make sure we don’t have to do without it.”
