Mayor Julian Castro favors expansion of Medicaid to uninsured Texans
By: Jose G. Landa
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro told a delegation of San Antonio business and civic leaders at the annual San Antonio to DC trip in Washington, D.C. during early March of 2012 that Governor Rick Perry and the State of Texas should approve the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 to uninsured Texans because Texas stands to receive $100 Billion in federal Medicaid funds over the next 10 years, which Texans will have paid through their taxes, and Texas is the state with the highest number of persons uninsured in the United States.
There are 6.1 million Texans who are uninsured, representing 24% of the state’s population. An additional 1.8 million Texans stand to qualify for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act guidelines, totaling 7.9 million Texans eligible for Medicaid uninsured coverage-31% of the state’s population. If the State of Texas refuses to participate in expansion of Medicaid, Texans will have to foot the bill for uninsured health care costs through more taxes, higher health insurance premiums, more expensive health care costs, receive less health care services, and many residents will not seek health care services and die at a younger age. Texans will have to develop and pay for a state health care services plan for its uninsured people through its own monies.
The two largest state health care organizations, the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Hospital Association, favor and support Texas’ participation in the federally-funded Medicaid expansion. An overwhelming majority of health care providers support and demand Texas’ participation in Medicaid expansion. And 7.9 million indigent, low and middle-income Texans’ future health care and lives depend on receiving affordable health care through Medicaid. The potential consequence of Texas’ non-participation in Medicaid expansion is a public health crisis unseen before in Texas, which Texans will have to pay for instead of the federal government.
