by Dr. M. Ray Perryman
Dr. M. Ray Perryman
During the COVID-19 pandemic, part of the federal health emergency regulations prohibited ending Medicaid coverage for individuals. With the end of the emergency, the rules for eligibility for Medicaid in Texas have reverted to those in effect prior to the pandemic. More than 500,000 Texans (and counting) have lost their Medicaid health insurance coverage. In some cases, coverage may resume once verification procedures are completed, but many of them have passed the age of 19 (where in Texas they generally age out) or have otherwise become ineligible under the State’s criteria.
Texas has the highest percentage and total number of uninsured residents in the country by a wide margin. Most cannot afford private insurance and find it difficult to obtain basic or preventive health care. Texas could alleviate a substantial portion of this problem by expanding health insurance coverage using available federal funds and reap notable economic and fiscal gains in the process. As hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable residents enter the ranks of uninsured, the situation will only become more difficult.
For more details please refer to the full brief, available on their website as a pdf: