Mayor Gray and Council Reach Agreement on DC Healthcare Alliance

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced that he, DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown and Councilmember David Catania had reached an agreement that will continue services provided through the DC Healthcare Alliance.

“I am delighted that we have reached a reasonable compromise that restores the Alliance, maximizes federal revenue and preserves resources for other critical health-care programs funded through DHCF,” Mayor Gray said. “The plan addresses my concerns and the concerns we heard from many community organizations while ensuring Alliance beneficiaries will continue to receive critical health-care coverage."

“This is a great example of the executive and legislative branches working together to provide free and reduced-cost medical care to our residents that need it most,” said Chairman Brown. “The Council’s FY2013 budget funds the people’s priorities, and DC residents have been very vocal about their desire to protect funding for the Alliance. This agreement puts the needs of District residents first and protects the Healthcare Alliance’s important programs and initiatives.”

“Nearly two months ago, I set out to preserve the full range of services currently offered under the Alliance program, including hospitalization,” said Councilmember Catania. “Despite a challenging budget environment, Mayor Gray, Chairman Brown and I have reached an agreement that preserves this program in its entirety for the 19,000 District residents who rely upon it. Today’s agreement ensures that all low-income District residents are treated equally and afforded the dignity of comprehensive, high-quality health care.”