Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday called the Medicaid expansion piece of federal health reform “fiscal coercion,” and blamed conservatives who have embraced it for folding “in the face of federal bribery and mounting pressure.”
federal health reform
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Health care
Perry Asks Congressional Delegation to Fight for Medicaid Flexibility
Ahead of his Thursday speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference, Gov. Rick Perry has sent a letter to members of Texas’ congressional delegation asking them to fight for flexibility for the state’s Medicaid program.
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Health care
Video: Cruz Delivers First Formal Senate Speech
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Wednesday gave his first formal speech on the Senate floor, urging his colleagues to support an amendment to defund federal health reform.
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Health care
Impact of Medicaid Expansion on State Budget Examined
As state legislators consider what “a Texas solution” to Medicaid expansion would look like, others have begun addressing the question of how Medicaid expansion would affect the state budget and local taxes.
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Health care
Blue Cross Launches Statewide Campaign for Insurance Exchange
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the state’s largest health insurance provider, is launching a campaign aimed at getting Texans enrolled in health plans through an online marketplace created by federal health reform.
Posted inHealth care
Interactive Quiz: Should Texas Expand Medicaid?
Debate is heating up at the Capitol over whether Texas Republicans should strike a deal with the Obama administration to expand Medicaid to poor, uninsured adults. Not sure where you stand? Take our interactive quiz to find out in six clicks or less.
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Health care
Lawmakers Seeing Possibilities on Medicaid Expansion
News that the federal government has negotiated with Arkansas to allow that state to use billions of dollars in Medicaid funds to buy private health insurance for the state’s poorest residents has some Texas Republicans intrigued.
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Health care
TribLive: A Conversation About Health Care
Full video of Emily Ramshaw’s 2/27 TribLive conversation about health care with state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown.
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Health care
TribLive: Zerwas and Schwertner on Medicaid
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, told Emily Ramshaw they back Gov. Rick Perry’s refusal to expand Medicaid.
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Health care
Guest Column: Expand Medicaid, but Fix It First
Medicaid in Texas should be expanded only after the program is tailored to Texas, reimbursement rates for providers are raised, and patients are responsible for co-pays and deductibles.
