00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 42                                                                     
01 Urging the Congress to enact legislation that would temporarily increase the federal                                    
02 share of Medicaid costs.                                                                                                
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS the Medicaid program was designed to help counteract the effects of an                                  
05 economic downturn by providing temporary health care coverage for unemployed workers                                    
06 and their families; and                                                                                                 
07       WHEREAS there has been a significant downturn in our nation's economy; and                                      
08       WHEREAS states are experiencing significant losses in their revenue due, in part, to                            
09 the economic downturn and, in part, to the costs associated with homeland security measures;                            
10 and                                                                                                                     
11       WHEREAS it is estimated that the total budget shortfall for the states will be between                        
12 $20,000,000,000 and $30,000,000,000 by the end of March 2002; and                                                       
13       WHEREAS, if a state facing a budget shortfall is forced to reduce its Medicaid                                  
14 expenditures, the state will also lose the corresponding federal matching dollars that help                             
15 finance the Medicaid program in that state, thereby losing the economic benefits of federal                             
16 investment and increasing the budget shortfall in the state; and                                                        

01       WHEREAS, without additional federal money, the ability of the states and the federal                            
02 government to work together to minimize the effect of this economic downturn on working                                 
03 families will be severely compromised; and                                                                              
04       WHEREAS Section 604 of H.R. 3090, as reported in the United States Senate on                                    
05 November 9, 2001, included the following provisions related to the federal share of Medicaid                            
06 under 42 U.S.C. 1396d(b), known as the FMAP: a hold harmless provision, a one-and-one-                                  
07 half percentage point increase, and a further increase for states with an unemployment rate                             
08 higher than the national average; and                                                                                   
09       WHEREAS these three FMAP provisions would assist the states in carrying out the                                 
10 intent of the Medicaid program -- to assist unemployed workers and their families;                                      
11       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature                                                                
12            (1)  appreciates and understands the difficult task the Congress faces in                                    
13 negotiating the final economic stimulus package; and                                                                    
14            (2)  strongly urges the Congress to include these three FMAP provisions in any                               
15 final economic stimulus package enacted by the Congress.                                                                
16       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Thomas Daschle, Majority                               
17 Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Trent Lott, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the                            
18 Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable                                
19 Richard A. Gephardt, Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable                                
20 Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don                                     
21 Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.