Texas to Close Program on Federal Health Law
A program created to help insurance-seekers in Texas cut through the complexities of federal health care reforms is shutting down in April, just 15 months after it opened its call center and years before the law goes into full effect.
Officials with the Texas Department of Insurance say they plan to help fill the gap, but it is unclear whether they can handle what some health experts call a beast of a policy change: millions of new patients will be required to acquire health insurance, and those first-time policy holders will need assistance understanding their rights and benefits.
When President ...
Comments (17)
Wayne Togo
Private insurance contracts for illegal aliens?
There are arguably between 2 and 4 million illegal aliens in Texas. They may have produced 1 to 2 million children, who are arguably citizens. These figures, if accurate, would add up to an underclass of 3 to 6 million people, outside of the traditional economy, of a total population of approximately 26 million.
Whatever the actual numbers are, they are growing rapidly as illegal aliens are being expelled from other states, such as Alabama, Arizona and Wisconsin. Virtually none of these illegal aliens have commercial insurance coverage of any type. Very few pay cash for private medical care. Most are uninsured, when they receive medical care at Texas hospitals or are covered by some other form of taxpayer funded health care.
Any plan to solve the Texas health insurance gap, will require insurance policies for millions of illegal aliens. No doubt, the taxpayer subsidy will be enormous.
And their children?
JC DemocratofTejas
"...unlike some other states, Texas is not seeking alternative means to maintain its program..." Yes, please, show the world how hateful our governor and legislature, and Wayne are. So racist and bent on doing anything that might help ALL children/people simply to offend Obama's healthcare program (oh so similar to the Mitt program remember?). Whining about illegals and b.s. constantly. Do you perhaps remember we stole Texas from Mexico? That being besides my point. How does any state turn they backs on people that could die without medical assistance that they can afford? You do realize that your hated "Obamacare" does not even take effect until 2013? I wonder why people like Wayne hate other races so much that it is the first word in their useless, empty diaglog. Where's that gypsy Wayne when you need her? Go away.
JC DemocratofTejas
Need I say more?
"Lobbyists with Rick Perry ties take a victory lap: "A major state health insurance contract was flipped two days ago from Blue Cross-Blue Shield to UnitedHealth, whose top lobbyist is the creator of Rick Perry's presidential Super PAC Mike Toomey. He also served a stint as the governor's chief of staff."
Bonnie Boorman
In the only major industrialized country in the world that does not offer healthcare to its people, and in Texas, one of a handful of states not willing to cooperate with the Affordable Care Act, the actions of our state leadership regarding healthcare seem shortsighted, selfish, backward and hypocritical. And in relation to women, children, minorities and the poor, they are brutal.
Wayne Togo
Get Real!
Perhaps the USA 'stole' disputed portions of the territories of Alto California and Western New Mexico by right of conquest. This territory comprises the present day states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, as well as Western Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming from the nation presently known as Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
Texas has an entirely different history. Virtually every state in Mexico revolted following the overthrow of the Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824, by General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
At least three (3) new governments declared independence: the Republic of Texas, the Republic of the Rio Grande and the Republic of Yucatán. Texas won independence by right of revolt and the Republic of Yucatán achieved virtual autonomy, in the Mayan uprising known as the Caste War of Yucatán.
Revolutions overthrow governments as seen recently in the Arab Spring.
Wayne Togo
Bonnie says “A handful of states”?
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures …
The Supreme Court will hear the suits filed by 26 states and by the National Federation of Independent Business, challenging the federal health law’s individual mandate — the requirement that almost all people in the United States buy insurance.
Two federal courts of appeals have said the mandate is constitutional
One, the 11th Circuit in Atlanta, has ruled the law unconstitutional,
One said it could not reach a decision on the mandate because tax laws cannot be challenged until they are in effect.
Yeah, 26 states WOULD be a handful.
Wayne Togo
A handful of states oppose?
Some members of at least 47 state legislatures have proposed legislation to limit, alter or oppose selected state or federal actions.
1 Not permitting, implementing or enforcing mandates that would require purchase of insurance by individuals or by employers and impose fines or penalties for those who fail to do so.
2 Seek to keep in-state health insurance optional, and instead allow people to purchase any type of health services or coverage they may choose.
3 Contradict or challenge specific policy provisions contained in the 2010 federal law
ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-laws-and-actions-challenging-aca.aspx
47 States would indeed be ‘a handful’!
Anti-Claire Fletcher via Texas Tribune on Facebook
So, of course, its being defunded. It helped people and it would implement the Affordable Care Act, i.e. ObamaCareS. It had to die, rite?
Stephanie Robinson Borgman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No surprises here.
Wayne Togo
Disbanding the program … wouldn’t that be the law?
The Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, struck down the individual mandate in a suit brought by officials of 26 states, including Texas.
(nytimes.com/2011/11/09/health/policy/appeals-court-upholds-health-care-law.html)
By my lights, formal decisions by 38 states, ‘trump’ all actions of the 3 federal branches.
Article V: The Congress, on the application of the legislatures of 2/3 (34) of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which shall be valid, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures or conventions in ¾ (38) of the several states.
law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlev
According to my copy of the constitution.
Audrey Fisher via Texas Tribune on Facebook
TX likes the "let'em die quickly" motto from GOP in DC.
Jim Arnold
Typical baggies. And Togo baby, you are a bigot.
Jalapeno Schwartz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They all belonged to the wrong Country Club
Todd Morrow
I would like to suggest that we collectively move away from our respective edges of the pedulum swing of poitical opinion and face this a different way. I will, right up front, let everyone know that I am opposed to Obamacare for many reasons, but it is the law of the land until another one is passed so I/we have to deal with the realities as best we can. With this said I am not going to engage in the "what if" of the pending SCOTUS case against the law and just speak my thoughts about the issues raised in this article.
I believe it is in the best interest of everyone that those entering the health insurance market for the first time in 2014 be well educated and have available help and advice on what plan best fills their needs. The other side of the issue is that the Federal government defunded this program and Texas is not looking to find other means of funding.
With State Medicaid unfunded for the last five months of the budget, schools seeing less from the state and a myriad of other challenges I can see why the Texas DOI made this decision. The effectiveness of this unit will not be truly necessary until 2014 and other pressing issues are her and now.
So what do we do about it? I have a suggestion that will not cost the state taxpayer one dime. There are several thousand LICENSED insurance agents all over the state. They are trained and ready to assist Texans in finding the right plan for their needs. The vast majority of them will be in a better postion to advise a person than anyone the state hires into a special unit. Not to besmirch any state employee, but it just stands to reason that anyone hired by the state to perfom this function will not have the experience of a person currently earning their living in this field. Some might say they are patial to one carrier or another due to their relationships with carriers. This is absolutley true, But, think a minute. The way an agent forges those patial feelings is due to the track record of taking care of the client's needs as promised. To those who point to an agent who shows that impartiality due to the commission I would say find a new agent. Ever heard of doctors who show preference for medical suppliers due to some type of payment instead of the quality of the product? Sure we have. Every industry suffers these fools. At the end of the day we have this resource available to Texans right now and it does not cost the tax payer a dime.
Rudy Gonzales
Texas Governor's office phone number 512-463-2000 when the federal government's Consumer Health Assistance Program ceases to assist you call this number and get them to help you with your services. This program results from federal laws implementing Consumer Health Assistance Program and it seems the issue is the doctors ability to file claims. No one is addressing the patients issues and therefore the governor's office number is being released to accommodate this Texas-wide fiasco. Maybe the governor's office can address this blatant issue to throw the Texas people under the ambulance.
Wayne Togo
Jim Arnold
JA resorts to a well known logical fallacy, Bulverism, a term coined by British author C. S. Lewis.
Wherein the source is personally attacked or their sanity/sobriety questioned, rather than the actual evidence and arguments being addressed.
“It is 1st necessary to show THAT a man is wrong, before discussing WHY that man is wrong”, according to the Oxford/Cambridge Don, and Christian writer, C. S. Lewis.
“The Race Card is now the Joker in the deck.” (Herman Cain)
Weak JA … very weak indeed
Frances Demps via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Who was the Congressman who said the Republicans' health care plan was, "Don't get sick." He was right.