Medicaid
May 04, 2016
Medicaid Expansion Still Necessary
For immediate release May 5, 2016
Federal Medicaid Extension not a long term solution for Texans
For information contact Gene Lantz 214-942-4236, labordallas@sbcglobal.net
Medicaid expansion was ignored. Texas officials and Hospital administrators have said they are relieved that the Feds have given Texas one last bailout to help hospitals cover the cost of uninsured for more than a million Texans.
Hospital administrators may be happy but a representative of a statewide retirees organization says the stop gap measure is not a real solution. “The solution is to expand Medicaid,” said Gene Lantz, President of the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans.
FAILING OUR TEXAS CHILDREN
“The problem is that our governor has failed the children, the elderly and thousands of working families,” said Lantz.
State leaders have refused to accept billions of dollars from the Obama Administration to cover the working poor, children and elderly who are caught in a coverage gap. They make a little above the poverty level but not enough to qualify for subsidized care under Obamacare, Lantz said.
This bailout, also known as the 115 Waiver, was never conceived of as an alternative to coverage for Texas’ working poor adults. There are over a million Texans who are not eligible for Medicaid but earn too little to qualify for subsidized care under the Affordable Care Act.
Governor Perry and Governor Abbott are putting their ideological opposition to President Obama’s Affordable Care Act ahead of health care for over a million, children, low income working mothers and the elderly.
“Our extremely high uninsured rate is a national travesty,” said Lantz.
The Alliance is hopeful that this stopgap measure to cover uncompensated care for the next 15 months will provide a buffer to move Texas in the direction of accepting federal funding to cover those who have no health care.
OTHER STATES ARE FINDING SOLUTIONS
According to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, finding a coverage solution like other states have done would bring Texas an estimated annual $6 billion or more without a time limit, and would allow Texas to negotiate the largest possible waiver extension for the longest possible period.
The Texas Alliance is affiliated with the Alliance for Retired Americans, representing over 4 million retirees nationwide. We petition for this expansion.
Thanks to Glenn Scott in Austin for doing all the work on this news release.
–Gene Lantz, President
Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
Find us on facebook: Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
Go back to our Headlines