Finally, Medicaid Restored to Pacific Islanders

December 22, 2020

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) celebrates the important decision by Congress to fix a long delayed oversight denying federal health benefits to Pacific Islanders in the Compact of Free Association Migrants (COFA) Communities, which include citizens of the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia. Restoring this access to Medicaid was included in yesterday's Covid-19 relief and funding package.

This decision comes after nearly 25 years when COFA Communities were promised support by the federal government, but broke its commitment to provide medical care for Marshall Islands residents and others living in the United States.

Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately affected by this lack of access to medical care, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, Pacific Islanders will have access to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance coverage which will reach tens of thousands of Marshallese and residents of several other Pacific Island nations living in the United States.

“National ACE applauds the hard work and dedication of Sen. Mazie Hirono (HI), Sen. Brian Schatz (HI), and U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA), who worked diligently to include the restoration of these benefits in the latest bill from Congress," said President & Chief Executive Officer, Chiling Tong, “A fix to this legislative error has been long overdue, and now their efforts have paid off.”

The Covid-19 pandemic and related job losses have had a detrimental impact on many of our Pacific Islander communities throughout the United States. This legislation provides much needed relief to Pacific Islanders across the nation.