The feuding Democrats took their beef to steamy Puerto Rico on Thursday to rally for the financially embattled island, but the show of unity didn’t extend to fixing their tattered relationship.
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An effort to rivet Washington’s attention to the fiscal crisis of Puerto Rico will begin in New York at a summit meeting in coming weeks.
New York has the largest population of Puerto Ricans living outside the USA territory.
As a US commonwealth, Puerto Rico pays the same Medicare taxes as states while receiving 40 percent less in reimbursement, and about 70 percent less in Medicaid, according to figures provided by PRHCC.
Albany bureau chief: Joseph Spector is Gannett’s Albany Bureau chief and has covered New York politics and government since 2002.
New York is home to 1.1 million Puerto Ricans, the greatest number outside the island.
For the past two years, he has made long weekends out of his business trips to Puerto Rico – twice bringing his wife for mini-vacations – but this year he stayed for just one day.
“Washington’s callous and discriminatory funding policies have caused an unprecedented health care crisis for the 3.5 million USA citizens who live in Puerto Rico”, Rivera said.
Cuomo also says the state will open a Taste New York store that’ll allow San Juan residents to sample state-manufactured products including liquor, beer, and yogurt.
“They are not being treated the same way as other Americans when it comes to Medicare and this is contributing to the crisis here in Puerto Rico”, he said.
SAN JUAN Nov 4 A planned rally in San Juan on Thursday to pressure US lawmakers to improve healthcare funding for Puerto Rico will include appearances from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Despite President Barack Obama establishing an interagency task force on Puerto Rico to leverage available U.S. federal assistance to help the United States territory, the White House has stated it does not envision a bailout.
“It’s very emotional personally”, she said of the dire financial status of Puerto Rico, where she was born and raised.
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U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has approved an 11 percent cut to Puerto Rico’s Medicare Advantage premiums.
