H-4134.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4030
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Representatives Backlund, Cody, Dyer, Lambert, Carrell, Koster, Zellinsky, Sherstad and Anderson
Read first time 01/19/98. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, Medicaid has emerged as the most important governmental program to provide health and long-term care services to low-income persons and such program has continued to grow substantially placing an ever-growing demand on budgets of the national and state governments, and if the spiraling costs of Medicaid is left unchecked it will continue to have a detrimental effect on the social and economic viability of our communities; and
WHEREAS, Although it is well accepted by the people and most policymakers that public programs can be more effective and efficiently administered in our states and communities without excessive regulations, Medicaid remains highly bureaucratic granting flexibility to states sparingly and only after an extensive and costly waiver process; and
WHEREAS, The recent success of welfare reform is closely associated with the degree of flexibility granted states in administering that program and that similar success can be realized in Medicaid if states are given the same authority;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President submit and Congress quickly pass legislation that grants states extensive flexibility in the use of Medicaid funding for acute and long-term care services.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
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