During A Pandemic,Texas Medicaid Expansion Worth A Serious Look
The pandemics toll on the nations health care system could be the perfect reason for Texas to reconsider expanding Medicaid coverage to include low income adults.
Economist Ray Perryman, president and CEO of The Perryman Group in Waco, points out that until now, Texas has been among 12 states that have steadfastly refused to expand Medicaid. The medical coverage for low-income residents is 90% funded by federal tax dollars. If Texas did expand coverage, it would bring billions of dollars into the state and about a million people could be insured
In the middle of this pandemic, so many people [are] losing health coverage, its just a really bad time to have billions of dollars sitting there for the taking and just walk away from it, Perryman said.
And those extra dollars could help stimulate businesses here in the Lone Star State, he said.
Basically what you find is a couple of things. Number one, billions of dollars in health spending that wouldnt occur otherwise, he said. And Texans dont pay any more taxes to get those dollars. And so that in and of itself generates a stimulus.
Read more: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/during-a-pandemictexas-medicaid-expansion-worth-a-serious-look/