Tag Archives: medicaid

Foolin’ Folks…Sorta

Posted on April 1, 2013 | Comments Off on Foolin’ Folks…Sorta

There haven’t been many good April Fool jokes today. One of our Texas House Dem leaders, State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, sent out a good one.

“Perry Embraces Medicaid Expansion–Funds for Education.”

After all the work that has been put in trying to convince the Gov and other Republicans that it is imperative that it be done, well, the joke of a Governor has continued with his opposition to Medicaid Expansion.

Of course, that didn’t stop the good folks at TOP and Progress Texas from making a fool out of the naysayers. As reported by our friends at Progress Texas.

This morning, volunteers with Progress Texas and the Texas Organizing Project rallied outside Governor Perry’s office demanding he expand Medicaid in Texas to cover hard working Texans. Perry hosted a 10 minute long “roundtable” discussion – where no members of the public were invited – and a joint press conference on Medicaid expansion with Senators John Cornyn & Ted Cruz, along with other Texas Tea Party members. Texans came from across the state to make it known that we need health care, and we need it now.

[…]

The protest only finished a couple hours ago and we’ve already been mentioned by Politico, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Morning News, and the Houston Chronicle. We were so loud, members of the press inside could barely hear what the Governor and Senators Cruz & Cornyn were saying!

Good job!

Our friends at Burnt Orange Report, specifically Katherine, had a really good one that, when I shared it on Facebook, had many of my friends asking, “Is this really a joke or is it true?”

“State Rep Debbie Riddle Introduces Statewide Ban On Breakfast Tacos”

Considering her Facebook diatribes against the federal free lunch program, well, it wouldn’t surprise me if she labeled “terror tacos” an immediate threat.

So, BOR gets the award for the best one because it kept people guessing.

RIDDLE RESPONDS:  Guano Loco Taco Act

The bill would mandate culinary background checks for would-be taco vendors who attempt to pass off low quality tacos as gourmet, boutique, Tex-Mex cuisine of a higher order, effectively, closing the current food trailer/truck loophole. These charlatans must be stopped. They have hoodwinked the public for far too long and now face the wrath of the Texas Legislature.

We must secure the quality of the Texas breakfast taco. Then, and only then, can we hope to preserve the integrity of this Texas morning ritual.

In that case, I intend to endorse her in 2014.

Comments Off on Foolin’ Folks…Sorta

Posted in 2013 Categories, Republinuttiness, Texas Lege

Tagged , , , , ,

Just In: Texas House Unanimously Passes Medicaid IOU Bill

Posted on February 21, 2013 | Comments Off on Just In: Texas House Unanimously Passes Medicaid IOU Bill

The Texas House of Representatives passed by a vote of 148-0 a bill to fund a Medicaid IOU bill to ensure there is enough money to continue providing health services to the poorest in Texas–3 million Texans. The bill now goes to the Texas Senate for consideration, and then, hopefully, to the Governor. The bill must be passed and signed within the next month to ensure services are available for the remainder of the fiscal year which ends in August.

The $4.8 billion bill mainly pays for Medicaid costs pushed off two years ago when lawmakers faced the prediction of a massive revenue shortfall. It also covers funding due the Children’s Health Insurance Program and allocates some money needed for schools to get through the fiscal year.

State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer had filed an amendment to the bill that would have added the $5.4 million cut from public education; however, in order to avoid any delays that may have occurred, he withdrew the amendment. A bipartisan group of State Reps will continue discussions on the matter.

This is just one step that takes care of the cuts from the last two years. Texans must still contact legislators to support a Medicaid expansion, which Rick Perry and other fellow Republican officeholders do not support. Republican governors across the country are changing course and supporting Medicaid expansion, so, this may cause some softening from the right, but the pressure must come from the people.

Likewise, increasing the daily rate for Texas nursing home reimbursements is just as important. Again, it is up to Texans to demand what is right from the Legislature.

Contact your legislators.

 

 

Comments Off on Just In: Texas House Unanimously Passes Medicaid IOU Bill

Posted in 2013 Categories, Accion, Health Care

Tagged , , , , ,

It’s Time for Texas to Support Medicaid Expansion

Posted on February 18, 2013 | 1 comment

Texas Republican leaders have been quite vocal in opposing any expansion of Medicaid. Much talk from Republicans as a means of attempting to soften on Latinos has centered on immigration, but health care is as much a Latino issue as immigration reform; if anything, it is quite vital to the community.

According to the Texas Medical Association, there are 6.3 million uninsured Texans, including 1.2 million children. Of those, groups with a high likelihood of being uninsured are:  Poverty-stricken families; Hispanics; and young adults. And almost 40% of Hispanics live uninsured. And non-citizens have an even higher likelihood of being uninsured; in fact, 30% of the uninsured in Texas are non-citizens.

When one looks at cities around the state, the numbers become quite real:  Houston – 30%; Laredo – 36%; Dallas – 33%; McAllen – 32%; El Paso – 28%, the list goes on. Just 35 counties of the 254 in Texas account for 80% of the uninsured.

So, why are Texas Republicans against the uninsured? Expanding Medicaid will help over a million uninsured Texans. Billions of Federal dollars will be returned to Texas within a few years, and billions more in a ten-year period. Federal dollars means jobs–for doctors, nurses, other medical staff, and businesses who work in the field.

Republican Governors in New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, and Michigan now support expanding Medicaid. They have recognized the crisis, as well as the benefits of receiving Federal dollars that their taxpayers have invested. Public opinion and the opinion of Texas businesses are on the side of Medicaid expansion. It’s just the right thing to do to ensure more Texans have access to medical care, rather than only emergency room care that ends up being more costly and a less efficient use of resources.

One way or another, the taxpayers will foot the bill while Texas plays catch-up at becoming a healthier state. But when a responsible approach is available through Medicaid, then Texas should do the responsible thing.

My friends at Progress Texas are currently promoting an online petition in support of the Medicaid expansion. I’m asking you to sign the petition and support Texas doing the right thing.

DosCentavos will be doing more writing on health care and elder care in Texas. When it comes to health care, Texas is in crisis mode and Texans must come together, put politics aside, and do what is right. And when it comes to Elder Care, there’s no doubt that the lives of many of our viejitos and viejitas are at stake with decisions being made in Austin and Washington, D.C.

Sign the petition. Please.

Texans may also participate in Texas Medicaid Matters! Advocacy Day at the State Capitol on March 5, 2013. (Thanks to our friends at Texas Well and Healthy).

We are mobilizing to:

1)     Protect Medicaid for children and other vulnerable Texans.

2)     Extend Medicaid to low-income adults who qualify for it under the Affordable Care Act.

Get a schedule of events in PDF format here. DosCentavos will be blogging more about this advocacy day, too.

1 Comment

Posted in 2013 Categories, Health Care, Texas Lege

Tagged , , , , , , ,