Sponsored by Senator Sarah McBride, bipartisan legislation that was signed earlier this week will bolster health insurance coverage for roughly one-in-four Delawareans according to information from Legislative Hall. Senate Bill 13 (S), or the “Protect Medicaid Act of 2024,” unlocks a new stream of state and federal funding —which state officials say is the largest ongoing investment in Delaware’s Medicaid program since the Affordable Care Act. By facilitating a major investment from the state’s hospitals that will secure a 2-to-1 federal funding match, SB 13 will unlock $175 million annually in new discretionary Medicaid funding aiming to protect, enhance and expand health coverage for the roughly 200,000 Delawareans who receive care through the joint state- and federal-funded health insurance program. The state will receive new funding beginning on July 1, 2025.
Additional information from Legislative Hall
“While this legislation passed unanimously, make no mistake, this legislation’s passage was far from assured a year ago when we started negotiations. After more than two decades of false starts and unsuccessful attempts to secure this funding, we now join almost every other state in tapping this critical funding to help us expand coverage, improve health outcomes, support providers, and save lives,” said Sen. McBride, Chair of the Senate Health Committee. “Thank you to the Delaware Healthcare Association for working collaboratively over the last year and consistently holding up the Protect Medicaid Act of 2024 as an example of how we can solve our greatest challenges through collaboration and compromise.”
“On behalf of Delaware’s hospitals, health systems, and healthcare related organizations, I want to thank Senator Sarah McBride for her leadership and collaboration as we worked together for nearly a year to reach agreement on a proposal that will bring hundreds of millions of dollars in additional federal healthcare funding to our state,” said Brian Frazee, President & CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association. “This effort will enable Delaware to continue investments in our shared healthcare priorities, including workforce, access, behavioral health, and health equity. This is yet another example of what we can accomplish when policymakers, elected officials, and hospitals work together to advance our shared goal of enabling Delawareans in all of our local communities to achieve optimal health. We also wish to thank Representative Kerri Evelyn Harris for her sponsorship and championing of this issue in the Delaware House of Representatives.”
