Wall Street Journal: Obama Administration Pushes Steps to Aid Puerto Rico With Zika Virus
“Obama administration officials are increasingly worried about Puerto Rico’s ability to handle a projected influx of Zika virus cases, given the territory’s struggling health care infrastructure and limits on federal Medicaid funding. … In addition to its health care infrastructure, Puerto Rico is challenged by a debt crisis that has left its government unable to repay obligations. It has more than $70 billion in debt. … ‘It’s a triple whammy,’ said Diane Rowland, executive vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘They have a low-income population, limited health care infrastructure, and capped Medicaid. It’s a trifecta. It highlights what happens in an emerging health emergency’…” (Armour, 2/18).