Texas without Medicaid?

the new Texas legislature convenes in the next few weeks, it will face a projected multi-billion dollar state budget deficit. Among the suggestions for managing the shortfall is a proposal for the state to opt out of the federal Medicaid program in favor of a state-run alternative. The cost vs. benefit calculations for this proposal will be complicated and interesting. Millions of federal matching dollars are tied to Medicaid participation but let’s just assume that it could be done; on September 1st, 2011 Texas’ neediest citizens lose Medicaid coverage and instead receive healthcare coverage directly through the state. Remember, the state budget is fixed so every dollar we spend on healthcare is a dollar not spent on higher education, on our state parks, on improving our roads, on beefing up our highway patrol, in short, on lots of things that make our lives safer and more enjoyable. With that in... continue reading...