BALTIMORE, MD (June 2, 2016)–Today Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ guidance clarifying the availability of Medicaid funds for the prevention, detection, and response to the Zika Virus:

“The mosquitoes that carry Zika are ‘container breeders’ that only need a capful of water to breed.  The dense population and conditions of the aging infrastructure in cities make cities like Baltimore particularly vulnerable. I commend CMS for allowing Medicaid to cover important preventative measures such as mosquito repellent and screens as well as targeted case management to support pregnant women diagnosed with Zika, and an array of other vital services that provide care for women who contract Zika.

“Now that states have the option to pay for some of the vital prevention supplies and services through this new announcement, we support the state of Maryland to make the right decision and implement the guidance of CMS.   While this is an incremental step to funding a response to Zika, Baltimore – and urban jurisdictions around the country – need Congress to provide additional financial resources to ensure that all of our residents are fully prepared to combat this public health emergency.

“I applaud the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for issuing this guidance and taking action. We know that Medicaid funds will only support a small piece of our work and will only fund services for a percentage of the vulnerable population. Therefore, I urge Congress to fulfill President Obama’s funding request for this epidemic and make those dollars available to local jurisdictions so that we can fully mobilize against this crisis.”