Resisting the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remained a priority this session, as it was the last session of the Texas Legislature, but the issue was not as hotly contested this time around, and none of the Medicaid-expansion bills filed received a hearing. Likewise, bills that would have created a state health-insurance exchange under the ACA did not get a hearing. Texas lawmakers held the line and resisted implementing the ACA despite pressure from a coalition of hospitals, providers, chambers of commerce, county judges, school districts, and various advocacy groups.
‘Fail First’ Policies Failed Me, It’s Time to Fix Step Therapy in Texas
When I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, organs, and tissues it’s meant to protect. That diagnosis marked the start of a lifelong battle not just against disease, but against a system designed to deny me the treatment I...