The following is a round-up of stories about Medicaid in Texas.
- The Associated Press reports the extend to which Medicaid cuts in Texas will impact rural hospitals. Dr. Mike Henderson of Childress Regional Medical Center said the hospital is the only one within 100 miles that delivers babies, but Medicaid cuts could close the obstetrical unit. The hospital’s chief executive said 70 percent of the deliveries are Medicaid cases.
- The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative group, says moving 3.3 million non-disabled Medicaid recipients into private health insurance plans would ward off a budget disaster. People would have the flexibility in health care choices. An excerpt:
To avoid ‘frightening’ some 820,000 elderly and disabled people now on the program, she said, the plan would keep current benefits and eligibility. But it would slash how much future applicants seeking long-term care could make in income by nearly 40 percent and clamp down on their ability to keep what can be quite valuable homes. And that program also would shift eventually to a market-oriented look, [former Rep. Arlene] Wohlgemuth said.
- Texas Democrats say state budget cuts would close half the states nursing facilities. Texas Republicans seek to fix the budget by cutting services and not raising taxes. (Source)