Author: Grupo CNE

CNE Review – August 2021

As we commence yet another school year, we are dedicating this edition of the CNE Review to analyzing Puerto Rico’s largest and most important higher education institution, the University of Puerto Rico.

Public University, Investment, and Development

The current trends of technological change, climate risks, and social upheavals make the university as a social institution more relevant than ever. It then seems pertinent to examine relevant case studies to understand how much the current assault on the UPR limits Puerto Rico’s capacity to face the challenges of the future.

El acuerdo de cinco años de Medicaid

La “Ley de apoyo a Medicaid en los territorios de EE.UU. de 2021” (H.R. 4406) ayuda a Puerto Rico a evitar un precipicio de fondos de Medicaid a corto plazo y ofrece cierta estabilidad al establecer niveles claros de financiamiento para los próximos cinco años. Sin embargo, el acuerdo de cinco años propuesto no alcanza la paridad con los estados, no es una solución permanente y perpetúa el trato “separado y desigual” de los beneficiarios de Medicaid en los territorios, a quienes se les dice, una vez más, que acepten una oferta “suficientemente buena”.

The Medicaid Five-Year Deal

H.R. 4406 helps Puerto Rico avoid a short-term Medicaid funding cliff and provides some stability by setting forth clear funding levels for the next five years. However, the proposed five-year deal falls short of parity with the states, is not a permanent fix, and perpetuates the “separate and unequal” treatment of Medicaid beneficiaries in the territories, who are being told, once again, to accept a “good enough” deal.