PROVIDENCE, RI - Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts today issued the following statements in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs:
"Medicaid serves one in four Rhode Islanders, helping build healthier communities, a healthier workforce, and a healthier economy," said Raimondo. "As we look ahead to the next 50 years, we must continue to implement smart reforms in our Medicaid program and across our entire healthcare system to provide quality care at a lower, more predictable cost for businesses and taxpayers."
"For half a century, Medicaid has provided tens of millions of Americans with access to care and support to lead healthy lives," said Roberts, who championed the administration's efforts to reinvent Medicaid and is currently serving as Chair of the Governor's new Working Group for Healthcare Innovation. "The program has also evolved over the years to provide more people with access to quality, affordable health care. I look forward to strengthening our state's program even more through our Reinventing Medicaid reforms, and to building on these innovations to reward quality, outcomes, and coordination across our healthcare system."
For more information about Raimondo's Healthcare Innovation initiative, see www.governor.ri.gov/initiatives/healthcare
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