Medicaid Expansion for Texas

April 18, 2019. My classmate Phuong Nguyen posted "Medicaid expansion for Texas." His main point is problems of Texas medical system. In Texas, many people still cannot afford their medical coverage. I really agree with that people with low incomes or disabilities confront difficulties in paying for medical expenses. His opinion is that Texas should expand Medicaid to support the health of Texans because Texas has strict Medicaid qualifications which limit the number of people that can access the benefits. First, he mentions the Texan's health insurance. He says that Texas makes up about 31 percent of total more than 2 million uninsured and poor people that distribute in the coverage gap in the analysis of Kaiser Family Foundation. In addition, Texas is one of 14 states that refuses to expand Medicaid in the United States that makes many people cannot access health insurance. That means Texas has a large number of people not having health insurance. Thinking all of those happening, he thinks that expanding Medicaid will help more Texans to get aids for their health coverage and it may have a positive effect on economic growth of Texas because if they agree to expand the Medicaid, they will receive the fund from the federal, and people who get low-income can be less suffered from economic problem for a health care.

I totally agree with his opinion that Texas should expand Medicaid to support the health of Texans. According to reports, Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the United States at 16.6 percent. Many of those uninsured, about 638,000, are in the so-called "coverage gap." They don't make enough money to qualify for the insurance subsidies guaranteed by the ACA, but they make too much cash to qualify for Texas' Medicaid statute. In addition to those in the gap, the expansion would also cover more than 400,000 Texas residents with incomes just above the poverty line. Both groups are made up of the people the ACA's Medicaid expansion was designed to cover, but Texas' state representatives have left them out. I think the Legislature should make sure there is a health insurance option available to Texans who build our homes, take care of our toddlers and grandparents, serve our food when we go out to eat, or who stay home to care for their new baby while a spouse goes to work. Unfortunately, many of these jobs don't offer insurance and don't pay enough for Texans to buy their own insurance. The federal government is offering states expanded Medicaid funding to cover these specific families, but so far state leaders have turned down the funding without offering any alternative plans. I think state leaders should think about this problem again, and they should know that there are many benefits of expanding Medicaid. By reducing the number of people in Texas without insurance, expanding Medicaid will lower the costs that are passed on to insured Texans and to Texas businesses. Moreover, by increasing job and economic activity in the state, the Medicaid expansion can help boost state revenue.

Texas children

Texas often touts its record of economic growth, low unemployment rates and its success as a magnet for workers, but who's thinking about the kids in tow and how well-fed or educated they are? Many people are surprised to find that about one in five kids in Texas lives in poverty. According to the report, 1.7 million children, or one-fourth of Texas kids, are currently living in poverty, and 1.1 million of the children living in poverty are Latino, 277,000 are black, 241,000 are white, and 31,000 are Asian. The poverty rate for Latino children in Texas is three times the rate for white children, so the racial disparities among kids living in poverty are stark. The report also found racial and ethnic disparities around health and education. 3.8% of black children in Texas face food insecurity, a rate that is nearly twice that of white children and the state also has one of the highest percentages of children without health insurance in the country (11%) and the rate of Latino children who are uninsured is over twice the rate of white children who are uninsured. I think if this problem persists, minority children also face higher barriers than their white peers when it comes to educational achievement. 

I think Texas lawmakers should focus on creating pathways out of poverty and promoting equity for all children. According to the report, Texas consistently ranks among the bottom 10 states regarding children's health and well-being. I really concern about that children are in trouble, and I think Texas is going to be in big trouble. They should recognize that it is going to be a really big problem to Texas state. I think children of color are not only the future of Texas, they are the Texas of today. Without them, Texas would face a demographic crisis a shrinking and aging population with few working-age adults to support and replace older adults in the workforce. Closing the educational, health and financial gaps between Texas children of different races and ethnicities will require intentional, proactive community choices and public policies to ensure all Texans can reach their full potential.