Medicaid, Head Begin, well being facilities say they’re locked out of federal funding web site
A variety of organizations and companies that rely on federal well being division funds say they’ve been locked out of the net system chargeable for monitoring and depositing their cash, within the wake of the White Home’s transfer to freeze funding throughout the Trump administration.
These embrace state Medicaid packages which have been unable to log into the Fee Administration Companies net portal, or PMS, run by the Division of Well being and Human Companies, which handles billions of {dollars} of funds yearly.
The web site at the moment warns that due “to Government Orders relating to probably unallowable grant funds, PMS is taking further measures to course of funds. Evaluations of relevant packages and funds will lead to delays and/or rejections of funds.”
A spokesperson for HHS didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon why recipients have been locked out of the portal.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters Tuesday that Medicaid recipients and others who instantly obtain federal funding will proceed to obtain it. “It doesn’t have an effect on particular person help that is going to Individuals,” she stated. She additionally insisted the funding pause is “short-term.”
However different recipients of federal well being {dollars} have additionally reported being locked out of the cost system, together with Head Begin early childhood education schemes and neighborhood well being facilities.
“My workers has confirmed studies that Medicaid portals are down in all 50 states following final night time’s federal funding freeze. It is a blatant try to tear away well being care from hundreds of thousands of Individuals in a single day and can get folks killed,” Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden posted on X.
“A number of states locked out of Medicaid portal,” Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii tweeted. “It is a Trump shutdown, besides this time it is illegal.”
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley stated he was assured Medicaid wouldn’t be affected.
“What the White Home has informed us simply now could be that Medicaid shouldn’t be, categorically not, lined by this,” Hawley stated. “In different phrases, there will likely be no interruption to Medicaid or Medicare or any grant that floats to people.”
A spokesperson for the Nationwide Affiliation of Medicaid Administrators says they’ve formally sought steerage from the Trump administration to clarify the interruption.
Joann Alker of the Georgetown College Heart for Kids and Households referred to as on the administration to problem a press release clarifying that Medicaid shouldn’t be affected, warning it’s a “main disaster” as states look to attract down funding for the month.
“Any pause in federal funding of Medicaid — the most important supply of federal funding obtained by states — can be disastrous for states as they want to attract down federal funds to satisfy their monetary obligations to the well being care suppliers and well being plans serving Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries,” Alker stated.
In a press release forward of the lockout, HSS additionally introduced that it might be reevaluating “all packages, laws, and steerage to make sure Federal taxpayer {dollars} are usually not getting used to pay for or promote elective abortion” following a earlier government order by President Trump.
In a press release, the Nationwide Household Planning and Reproductive Well being Affiliation warned that well being facilities might face “vital disruption” to operations even with a “short-term funding pause.”
“For a lot of sufferers, Title X-funded well being facilities function their sole supply of well being care. The Title X household planning program is already chronically underfunded, and this government motion dangers destabilizing a well being supplier community that’s already working below immense pressure,” stated Clare Coleman, president and CEO of the affiliation.
Though the White Home’s Leavitt stated direct funds to Individuals will not be affected, she didn’t particularly tackle which grant packages will survive the funding pause.
It is a creating story and will likely be up to date.
