Texas ranks first in the nation in the percent of uninsured
patients, with a quarter of the population ─ more than 5 million
Texans ─ lacking health insurance. Despite this ignominious
distinction, the issue received little attention during the
legislative session, as legislators grappled with school finance
and tax reform. Several legislators, including Sens. Kip Averitt
(R-McGregor), Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso), and Royce West
(D-Dallas) filed legislation requiring or encouraging state
contractors to offer at least minimum benefits to employees and
dependents. However, all the bills stalled in committee.
Most of the bills TMA tracked relating to indigent care were
local bills affecting the operations of individual hospital
districts. Many of these had implications for the corporate
practice of medicine (see the
Corporate Practice of Medicine
section) versus improvements to the state's indigent health
care system.
Of note was HB 2463 by Rep. Mike Villareal (D-San Antonio) and
Sen. Kyle Janek (R-Houston). The bill allows counties to form
health care funding districts to tax nonpublic hospital outpatient,
and emergency department services to increase federal funding for
Medicaid and indigent care. Monies generated by the tax will be
used to generate local funds to draw down additional federal
Medicaid matching funds. The bill applies to Bexar, Webb, Hidalgo,
and Montgomery counties. Authority for the new districts expires
Sept. 1, 2007.
Indigent Care and the Uninsured TMA Staff Contacts:
- Hilary Dennis, Legislative Affairs, (512) 370-1370
- Rich Johnson, Medical Economics, (512) 370-1315
- Helen Kent Davis, Governmental Affairs, (512) 370-1401
Overview
|
Tax Reform
|
Scope of Practice
|
Physician Ownership
|
Inadequate Health Plan Networks
(Balanced Billing)
|
Managed Care/Insurance Reform
|
Texas State Board of Medical
Examiners Sunset and Physician Licensure
|
Agency Sunset Review
|
Corporate Practice of Medicine
|
Health Care Funding
|
Medicaid and CHIP
|
Workers' Compensation
|
Professional Liability Reform
|
Medical Education/Workforce
|
Child Health, Safety, and
Nutrition/Fitness
|
Public Health
|
Border Health
|
Rural Health
|
Mental Health
|
Trauma/EMS
|
Prescription Drugs
|
Medical Science
|
Long-Term Care
|
Abortion
|
Transplantation/Organ Donation
|
Table of Contents
Last Updated On
April 02, 2012
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010