Texas
Related: About this forumRick Perry’s Refusal to Expand Texas’ Medicaid Program Could Result In Thousands of Deaths
You could say that the idea for Medicaid began in Texas. In the late 1920s, a middle-school teacher named Lyndon B. Johnson saw the crushing poverty and inequality his Mexican-American students faced in the small South Texas town of Cotulla. Nearly 40 years later, then-President Johnson declared a War on Poverty and, in 1965, signed the bill that created Medicaida program funded jointly by the states and the federal government to provide health insurance to low-income Americans. It was part of his vision for a Great Society, which he boldly defined as a society where no child will go unfed, and no youngster will go unschooled.
Johnson probably couldnt have imagined the programs impact. In the past 47 years, Medicaid has provided medical care to hundreds of millions of Americansincluding low-income children, the elderly, disabled, and pregnant womenand has saved millions of lives. More than 50 million are currently enrolled.
In Johnsons home state, however, the commitment to Medicaid has always been lackluster at best. Texas Medicaid program spends less than the national average per enrollee, and reimburses doctors, hospitals and other providers less than the national average. In many areas, the Texas program pays for only the minimum standards required by the federal government. One in four Texans6.1 million peoplelack health insurance, the highest percentage in the country.
Now another Democratic president wants to expand Medicaid, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Even a modest expansion would mean that an estimated 1.5 million working adults who earn 133 percent of the federal poverty level or less (about $14,856 a year for an individual) could have health insurance starting in 2014.
Much more at http://www.texasobserver.org/rick-perrys-refusal-to-expand-texas-medicaid-program-could-result-in-thousands-of-deaths/ .
HelenWheels
(2,284 posts)I would say a big NO!
DhhD
(4,695 posts)and just ask for a Medicare form or a form to help pay for medicine.
At any age you will be directed, by letter, to the Texas Health and Human Services by Social Security.
It is my understanding that since Governor Perry, has rejected Medicaid, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - ACA, the federal government will set up the exchange. I am hoping that the federal government will make Texas be the first State to insure low income individuals under a first payer, or Medicare like, system.
I believe that Perry wanted federal co-pays to go to insurance companies. Texas could be the birthplace of the one payer system for national health care.
ROBROX
(392 posts)If the GOP was the party of the people why would they want to HURT PEOPLE?
If the GOP is the party of evil, hate, and terror, they would do everything to HURT the public. I guess this would include voting AGAINST aid to help people.
Ilsa
(61,690 posts)or he never listens to her opinion.
She looks like a doormat to me.
vinny9698
(1,016 posts)Hospitals and physicians will be short changed on his refusal. Both big GOP donors. Perry is just posturing and he will accept medicaid. There is just to much money to be left on the table. Hospitals get stuck with ER bills big time. Also taxpayers will save money, a study done in FL shows that.
Gothmog
(144,890 posts)The number of uninsured Texans going to emergency rooms is going to go up and the reimbursements will be going down. There are going to be some hospitals who will be putting pressure on Goodhair to change this decision
onestepforward
(3,691 posts)That is the only hope at this point.
ajain31
(63 posts)Hello Friends,
Governor Rick Perry millions of under-privileged poor Texans who do not have any Health Coverage will be covered under The Affordable Care ACT (ACA) expansion of MEDICAID!
My Physician wife's practice is partly dependent on MEDICAID and its viability. Please allow the expansion of MEDICAID to occur in Texas under The Affordable Care ACT.
FACT: If states choose to expand Medicaid, the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs from 2014 to 2016. The feds' contribution will begin to decrease in 2017, but will never be less than 90 percent, under the ACA.
That's why I created a petition to Governor Rick Perry, Texas Governor, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, and Governor Rick Perry, which says:
"Please ACCEPT the FREE EXPANSION of MEDICAID under The Affordable Care ACT."
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
http://signon.org/sign/accept-free-expansion?source=c.em.cp&r_by=7268737
Thanks!
Ajay Jain
[email protected]
Twitter Handle ajain31
Mobile: 214-207-9781