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.
Public Health Coverage Won’t Save Us—Address the Physician Shortage
For the last four months the news cycle has been buzzing about increases in healthcare.gov enrollment, Medicaid disenrollment eclipsing 20 million Americans, and a renewed click bait “fight” for Medicaid expansion. What do all of these articles have in common? They all end up corralling reform discussions to narrow legislative proposals which fail to address...