Medical Referral Assistance Office appropriation reviewed; senators question contract vs. personnel spending

The Committee of the Whole reviewed a $665,849 general‑fund appropriation for the Medical Referral Assistance Office for fiscal year 2026 and questioned the distribution between personnel and contractual services.

Mister Guerrero provided a staffing and contract breakdown: "about $432,719 is allocated for personnel. For contracts, we have $221,130 for contracts," he said. When asked whether the contracts support offices in the United States or the Philippines, Guerrero replied that based on the budget presentation the appropriation appears to be for local programs.

Senator Barnett raised a separate concern reported in press coverage about recent pay raises for some executive‑branch staff and asked whether recent raises were reflected in the budget. Guerrero said OFB tracks what is reflected in the staffing pattern and that many positions in the office are unclassified and do not receive increments.

Senators also asked for more information about program outcomes and how much direct assistance the office provides to off‑island patients; one senator said the office should demonstrate a clear return on investment if a majority of funds are for salaries rather than direct patient assistance.

Why it matters: the Medical Referral Assistance Office arranges off‑island medical care and related supports; senators sought clarity on whether the appropriation prioritizes service delivery or staffing and asked for data on assistance delivered versus administrative costs.

The committee recorded the presentation and questions; no vote to change the appropriation is recorded in the transcript.