Medicaid Could Become County-Driven in Texas
Texas' six largest counties could seek to expand Medicaid independently of the state. Photo by Nathan Bernier/KUT NewsThe Travis County hospital district appears interested in the idea of going it alone on the expansion of Medicaid, but says there are no plans in the works. This weekend, The Washington Post reported that the six largest counties in Texas could seek to expand Medicaid independently of the state. This would effectively make an end run around Gov. Rick Perry’s opposition to the program.
“We’re not actively involved at this point in time [in those talks],” says Christie Garbe with Central Health, the Travis County hospital district. “We are watching closely as it’s an interesting possibility. But Central Health is already interested in exploring local solutions to expand health care for the uninsured who live in Travis County.”
Central Health estimates the Medicaid expansion would save between $7 million and $8 million a year by providing health insurance to people who would otherwise just show up at the emergency room.
