By: Shelley Kofler, KERA News
Two key, state lawmakers from opposing parties, say they haven’t given up on creating a plan that would allow Texas to collect tens of billions of federal Medicaid dollars tied to the Affordable Care Act.
KERA’s Shelley Kofler reports that with Rick Perry leaving the governor’s office there may be another opportunity to adopt a so-called “Texas Solution.”
TEXAS-Representative Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat, and Rep. John Zerwas, a Republican from Richmond, are both health policy experts. Zerwas is a physician. So last session – after Gov. Perry said “no” to being part of Obamacare- the lawmakers crafted an alternative. Monday, at a Richardson forum sponsored by the Texas Tribune and Blue Cross Blue Shield they said a majority in the legislature liked what they came up with.
Coleman: “Even the conservatives understood their communities would benefit from the boost financially. From the jobs that would be created.
But Coleman said Perry’s promise of a veto their “Texas Solution” got in the way.”
Coleman: “There was no reason for members to go out and vote for something they thought would beat them in the Republican primary. And frankly I don’t blame them.”
The Zerwas-Coleman bill called for Texas to do what a few other states have done to collect their share of federal money: approach the Obama administration with an alternative that provides insurance coverage for more low income people.
Their plan focused on the estimated 1.5 million Texas adults who currently make just a little too much for Medicaid and therefore have no access to affordable coverage. Zerwas says those Texans currently rely on emergency care.
Zerwas: “It doesn’t provide you that avenue to access to healthcare when you got diabetes and early in your disease you’re trying to get control of your diabetes so you don’t end up with the serious qualities such as blindness and heart failure”
The Zerwas-Coleman plan said the newly covered should share some of their insurance cost through co-pays or deductibles, which currently aren’t allowed under Medicaid. Private insurers would be involved. Taxes collected from premiums on healthcare plans would pay the state’s costs. Zerwas says he thinks a similar plan could have a chance next session.
Zerwas: “If the members hear loud and clear that their constituency wants something to happen- such as a Texas Solution for lack of a better way to frame it – then I think that you know there is the ability to get some traction for things.”
County judges from around the state, including those from Dallas and Tarrant, recently sent a letter to lawmakers saying medical providers are spending $4 billion a year to cover bills low-income people can’t pay.
They’re among those asking legislators to give a Texas solution another try.
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