_______________________________________________
HOUSE
JOINT MEMORIAL 4030
_______________________________________________
Passed
Legislature - 1998 Regular Session
State of Washington 55th
Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/19/98.
Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
Petitioning
for Medicaid flexibility.
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.
