Medicaid is Broken
Medicaid expansion is a misguided, and ultimately doomed, attempt to mask the shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act by pressing millions into a system that can’t handle the people it’s caring for now.
Promised federal dollars may not materialize, and with only 3 out of 10 Texas physicians accepting new Medicaid patients already, the program simply isn’t prepared to deal with thousands of new individuals.
Texas will continue saying “no” to Medicaid expansion, and instead needs the flexibility to implement true solutions to meet the challenges of caring for the truly needy.
Texas Representative Lois Kolkhorst on Medicaid
Texas' Four-Point Plan
Reform our current program to meet the needs of Texans in a fiscally responsible manner:
- Cost Sharing: Establish copays, deductibles and premium payments on a sliding scale.
- Asset Testing: To ensure care is there for those who need it most.
- Promote Health Savings Accounts: Providing patients more control over health care spending.
- Promote Private Access: Promote the use of existing private coverage and employer sponsored coverage
News & Announcements
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Monday, April 01, 2013 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
Gov. Perry, Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Cruz: Texas Stands Firm Against Medicaid Expansion
Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz held a roundtable followed by a press conference to discuss the flexibility needed by states to enact meaningful reforms to the existing, broken Medicaid program. They were joined by Congressmen Joe Barton and Michael C. Burgess, M.D., Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek, as well as the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). Several Texas lawmakers and groups also joined in support of reforming the current Medicaid system and providing flexibility.» Read the Speech: Gov. Perry Takes Firm Stance Against Medicaid Expansion -
Friday, March 29, 2013 • Austin, Texas • Editorial
Medicaid Expansion a Bad Idea
Of all the bad ideas related to Obamacare, depending upon Medicaid to do the heavy lifting to 'insure' Americans is about the worst of the bunch. -
Thursday, March 28, 2013 • Austin, Texas • Noteworthy
Infographic: Health Care in Texas
Make no mistake, Medicaid is a broken system, just as President Obama said it was in 2009. The difference is, in Texas, we’re not going to dump people into this broken system and watch it spiral even further out of control. Here are some statistics to illustrate where we are, where ACA is taking us, and where Texas needs to go.
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Friday, November 23, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Editorial
Saying No to a Really Bad Idea
It’s really far past time for us to call Obamacare what it truly is: an unprecedented government overreach into every American's life, forcing higher costs onto individuals, practitioners, employers and state governments in lieu of actually fixing our healthcare system. -
Thursday, November 15, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
Gov. Perry: Texas Will Not Implement State Insurance Exchange Under Obamacare
Gov. Rick Perry, in a follow-up letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, reiterated Texas' decision not to implement a state insurance exchange as part of Obamacare. The deadline to inform the federal government of a state's intention regarding a state exchange is November 16.