Good Afternoon,

We are getting some questions about what the budget deal means for MIPPA and SHIP funding. My colleague, Marci Phillips, prepared this explanation this morning.

 

The massive legislative package that Congress passed early this morning takes the step that we’ve said has been needed to allow Congress to finally wrap up FY18 appropriations. It raises the caps that has limited how much appropriators can spend for both FY18 and FY19. 

 

A Politico article provides some detail, and has a sentence that puts this succinctly: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/08/congress-massive-budget-deal-2018-398189

“In addition to tens of billions of dollars in new funding for both the Pentagon and domestic programs, the budget package will keep federal agencies open until March 23. This will give time for the House and Senate Appropriations panels to craft a massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that will fund federal agencies until Sept. 30.”

 

So our focus is now on that omnibus bill for the next few weeks. We continue to advocate for at least level-funding SHIP at $47.1 million, and because they raised the caps, trying to restore funding to $52.1 million. Read more about what we’re working on here: https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/advocacy-toolkit/toolkits-by-topic/advocacy-toolkit-medicare-ship/.

 

There may be some confusion because some have discovered that the legislation that passed this morning specifically mentions SHIP. However, it’s in the context of separate legislative language that extends MIPPA funding for an additional two years to do low-income benefits outreach and enrollment.

 

Stay tuned for a NCOA blog post, expected to be published Monday, to provide additional details and information on next steps.

 

Have a nice weekend.

 

Leslie

 

 

Leslie Fried, JD

Senior Director, Center for Benefits Access

Office: 571.527.3992

xxxxxx@ncoa.org

 

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