Half of Puerto Rico could lose health coverage if Congress doesn't act on Medicaid

Roughly 1.5 million Puerto Ricans rely on Medicaid for health care.

Puerto Rico could lose Medicaid funding in less than two months, putting at risk roughly 1.5 million people -- nearly half the island's population -- unless Congress acts quickly. As COVID-19 continues to batter the island -- with at least 2,561 deaths among 141,905 confirmed cases, according to World Health Organization data -- several U.S. representatives have teamed up to propose the Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act. "Territories get less funding through Medicaid than states do, and it has led to all sorts of adverse health outcomes, debt and a sub-standard of living in those areas," Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., told ABC News in an interview. Puerto Rico was getting "far less than many states, and that led to an erosion of their health care system." The territory's annual Medicaid needs are predicted to reach about $3 billion, but due to restrictions in the Social Security Act Section 11108, Puerto Rico has instead only been given roughly $375 million in Medicaid for the year, Puerto Rican Gov. Pedro Pierluisi told ABC News.