Health In Texas

After reading an article on Austin American Statesman about the lack of insured people in Texas, it was very clear that the Editorial Board was determined to reach out to a specific audience. This audience consisted of those who do not possess medical insurance, the elderly, most of which rely on Medicaid for nursing home care, the group of people who are not Governor Perry supporters, and the large population of poverty stricken people. The Editorial Board of Austin American Statesman pointed out rather factually that most Texan citizens, many of which relate to the groups I described above, are uninsured due to the lack of health insurance coverage, the lack of Medicaid expansion, and the lack of determination by our state to help increase the chances for the less fortunate to qualify for government assistance programs. Austin American Statesman states, "Most Texans enrolled in Medicaid are women and children; about a quarter are elderly and disabled. Yet most Medicaid spending — 58 percent in 2010 — went toward meeting the health care needs of elderly and disabled Texans. Nursing home care contributes significantly to the cost of Medicaid. Expanding or not expanding Medicaid won't change that fact. Patients with a household income at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level are potentially eligible for Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid to cover patients with a household income at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. That's roughly $15,400 for an individual and $31,800 for a family of four". It is no wonder Texas is number one when it comes to the amount of people uninsured. We as a state, meaning our government who should be speaking for the people, are not taking the necessary actions to make sure all of our people are taken care of. This in turn cannot and will not benefit the people financially. The Editorial Board stated it perfectly by saying, "A key question lawmakers should ask, though, is whether the cost is more significant than the costs that will shift to insured Texans and Texas taxpayers if millions of Texans remain uninsured and continue to rely on emergency rooms for even minor medical care. Hospitals pass along the costs of treating uninsured patients to insured patients. Taxpayers in hospital districts, such as Travis County's Central Health, absorb the cost in the form of higher tax rates". We, as a state, will pay the ultimate price for allowing so many of our people to go uninsured. 




"For Better Health, Pay Perry No Mind." For Better Health, Pay Perry No Mind. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2012. <http://www.statesman.com/opinion/for-better-health-pay-perry-no-mind-2416602.html>.