Updated: Dallas County Urges Texas to Expand Medicaid
Updated: Dallas County officials adopted a resolution on Tuesday morning urging Texas legislators to extend Medicaid benefits to impoverished adults under the Affordable Care Act.
Original story: Dallas County officials will adopt a resolution on Tuesday urging Texas legislators to extend Medicaid benefits to impoverished adults under the Affordable Care Act. And advocates for Medicaid expansion hope the major urban county's decision will spur other counties to adopt similar measures and pressure lawmakers into taking action.
“A broad spectrum of people across business, faith and health care communities are coming together to ask that we find a way to ...
Comments (27)
Kathleen Painter via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I sincerely hope so.
Mike Franklin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
hell no don't cave to obamas lies
Bambi Clark via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Brewer, Snyder and Kasich have seen the light. But Rick Perry is a lot dumber than all of them together.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not going to happen; the long range aspects of this expansion is a disaster for state finances. And I can assure you the Collin County officials would be happy to adopt an opposing resolution, if they have not done so already.
Adam Silva via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Asking the Texas legislature to do the right thing? Good luck with that!
Kim Batchelor via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And you have a crystal ball, Mike, to know this? Short term, the state's leaving 100% and over 90% of the cost on the table. The financial prognostication is just an excuse to not cover low-income people, at a greater cost than if they did.
Luisa Inez Newton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas, the state of incompetence in both healthcare and education, is likely to cling to being part of the Party of Stupid. Already, costs of blocking Planned Parenthood are being felt in more unwanted pregnancies and rising STDs.
Jerry Andrews
Every major metropolitan area in Texas should be for Medicaid expansion. All have been left wildly underfunded by the Texas Leg last session and are starving for funds. Leaving available federal dollars (90% of the total cost of the expansion) on the table would be insane. Notice that the Texas medical community is for the expansion as well. They know that the Texas leg left them in the lurch and underfunded to take care of the MASSIVE number of uninsured folks (most in the nation) and they as an industry are currently the ones holding the bag while the State of Texas sits back doing next to nothing. If Perry weren't gearing up for another Presidential bid (or even Gubernatorial) then there would be no question that Medicaid expansion is a no brainer. But as it is, he refuses to do what is the best interest of the state for his personal political gain. Shame shame!
Richard Stewart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://www.texastribune.org/2013/02/12/dallas-county-officials-support-expanding-medicaid/
Dave Beavers via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Glad I don't live in Dallas anymore, and I almost wish I could move to some other state.
Renee E. Babcock via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm too cynical, but this would require some in the legislature to exhibit far more compassion than they have so far, and I just don't see it happening. I wish it would, though.
Craig Steiger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The party of "no" strikes again. We spend our time in California trying to get business to come here but we don't take care of our own. Now that we see its more expensive to NOT cover the working poor- we would rather stick our heads in the sand, let our citizens die because they can't get care, just do resist anything the president does..... It's a sad situation....
STOPTHE MAGNET
This freak show push to pressure the gov to expand the Fed. Extortion Enterprise and forever destroy this nation came knocking at my door a few days ago. Apparently the union goons are in on the "push". The gal got a lecture on the genius of the founding fathers instead. She did not know how to respond when asked how well her health care will go if controlled by a criminal syndicate......
Carol Morgan
Washington should handle Texas' refusal to expand Medicaid the same way they did with "Race to the Top" funds. Allow hospital districts and counties to apply for expansion funds on their own and circumvent Rick Perry's pissing contest with Washington. That would alleviate our uninsured dilemma and county's expenses and it would give Rick Perry a taste of his own medicine.
Sonora Hartley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Dallas County? Are you sure?
Scott Chase via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Collin County is not a good example. They send their low income patients to Parkland and don't pay for them.
audrey fisher
In search of a logical explanation for why Perry won't accept Medicaid expansion dollars ? The only reason is ideological - it has nothing to do with actual citizen's in the State. Our Gini coefficient is about 0.45. That is is divide between the rich and poor and yes that is about the national average, but one of the highest in the world.
How many of our legislator's are among the wealthiest of TX. If they are wealthy - they aren't invested in ACA, because they aren't directly affected by other folks don't have healthcare.
It is illogical - but that seems not to matter to Perry and his cohorts.
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Scott, a flat out lie; Every Collin County resident sent to Parkland's system is PAID FOR by the County. The problem is, Dallas County wants to drag Collin into the Parkland system to help pay Dallas Count's bills; that's NOT going to happen.
Rudy Gonzales
This is all about themoney and micro-managing the president. It's just like V.A.W.A. and both Texas senators voting against women. It's all about control. Marco wrote on his web site:
( http://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/fighting-for-florida?ID=73127f36-238f-4d9d-b6fb-b4681a4b440a )
Marco said: "Unfortunately, I could not support the final, entire legislation that contains new provisions that could have potentially adverse consequences." It's all about money. We well know the truth of the continued concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and the intensive concentration of power in stricter, less compassionate hands. Federal law provides rules and regulations as to how money is to be spent and what percentages to use. States limit doctor's re-imbursement rate, which in turn lowers the number of doctors wanting to participate. State incentives's to bring doctors into the Medicaid program can and should be utilized to improve health care for low-income participants. Cutting back on the number of weeks of benefits benefits no one but the state's administrators of this program. These are federal monies to be used in specified methods, but administered by the state. Failing to to adhere to federal rules and requirements will meet with loss of federal funding. That means that state legislators have failed their constituents. Everyone must remember this when they go to vote next cycle. Get registered, vote, and get out the vote! We well know the truth of the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and the concentration of power in stricter, less compassionate hands. "Sweep the Texas Capital CLEAN....in 2014"
gypsy314 ne
I say to Dallas you are part of Texas and will loose state funding if you try and go it alone. Liberals have know sense even in Texas.
gypsy314 ne
I say send all the illegal aliens to Washington DC so Obama and crew can have them up there a'''s
Sherri Williams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I'm conservative who suffered greatly for a short time I couldn't get healthcare. Two burst eardrums with permanent hearing lost.
Elizabeth Hart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Mike Openshaw, show me the documentation that Collin County has paid. We sent the bill, but I don't believe they ever paid it.
Genar Beard via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Congress wasted no time giving 700 BILLION dollars to incompetent bankers, insurance companies and CEOs but doesn't mind putting a stranglehold on the elderly and poor AMERICANS that are the victims of their greed.
Philip Diehl
The Administration needs to circumvent the obstructionist governors like Perry and send the money straight to the cities that meet the requirements. Many of those cities won't have the money to meet the 10-15% match, so the Administration should create block grants it can provide to help cities close the gap. The budget savings from lower unreimbursed hospital costs will also reduce the net costs to the cities.
Perhaps Obama could do this through executive orders. Otherwise, attach legislation to an appropriations bill and force the Senate GOP to filibuster a bill that'll provide millions of people healthcare insurance and has the support of many GOP mayors, the AHA, the AMA, and virtually all faith organizations.
Philip Diehl
Mike Openshaw-
Ever hear of Google? A simple search will demonstrate that you are uninformed on this matter.
Collin County does force all of its uninsured residents to go outside the county for care, mostly to Parkland. In fact, two-thirds of Parkland's unreimbursed costs from outside Dallas County comes from care provided to Collin County residents. Here's one of many links you would have found if you'd bothered to search out the facts:
http://healthlawblog.blogspot.com/parkland_growing_tired.pdf
Michelle James
Actually, counties and not cities should get the money if they can (hopefully) circumvent Perry. It's counties that pay for uninsured care with our tax dollars. I don't know how Perry and his cronies sleep at night. Oh wait, narcissistic people don't have a conscience.