Latest Senate Vote on FMAP

VHCA (6/18/2010)

The U.S. Senate failed Thursday night to break a partisan impasse over a major package of tax changes and safety-net spending, leaving the future of $24 billion in federal aid to states for help with health costs (FMAP), added unemployment benefits and a series of business tax breaks up in the air.

Leading Democrats said they would reassess how to approach the stalemate, and aides said the measure might be temporarily set aside while lawmakers sought an agreement.

Republicans said they had a proposal that would take the same steps Democrats were advocating and avoid adding to the deficit by using unspent money from the 2009 stimulus plan.

The spending and tax measure has become caught up in intensifying politics around deficit spending as members of both parties, reacting to rising public concern, have grown reluctant to vote for measures that add to federal red ink.

Please continue to contact your Congressman and Senators Warner and Webb about Virginia's need to receive the FMAP funds.  Without FMAP funds Virginia nursing facilities will face a 3% cut to current Medicaid reimbrursement rates in SFY 2011 and SFY 2012.