Hundreds of organizations, including the AHA, this week urged congressional leaders to extend through June 2011 or later the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage provided to states by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Without congressional action, the FMAP increase and other ARRA funds provided to help states avert budget cuts will expire at the end of 2010. "Many states have already announced plans to eliminate public sector jobs, decrease funding to safety-net providers and scale back Medicaid coverage if the ARRA fiscal relief is not extended," the groups said in a Jan. 20 letter to congressional leaders. "These state budget cuts will have a ripple effect throughout the economy and, according to economic estimates, could result in the loss of 900,000 jobs."