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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Health Reform and Texas

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The health care reform in Washington has sparked impassioned debate in Texas, a state that has the highest percentage of uninsured residents, but is led by Republicans who staunchly oppose the legislation.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is one of more than a dozen Republican attorneys general who has filed suit against the federal government, seeking to halt the measure's implementation. More than half of Texas voters support his decision, polling numbers show.

Small businesses here have vehemently opposed the reform, because it will force them to provide health insurance for their workers or pay hefty fines. And Republican lawmakers have bemoaned the projected costs of health care reform to Texas in repeated press conferences and public hearings.

How much the reform will cost Texas is hotly debated. The state's chief health official says the pricetag could be more than $27 billion over a 10-year span; that's 20 times higher than the federal government's prediction for Texas.  

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