Tag Archives: Texas Healthcare spending

Politics, Texas Politics

Leticia Van de Putte Calls for ‘Texas Solution’ To Expand Medicaid

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In the just released Texas First health plan, Lt. Governor candidate Leticia Van de Putte made it official, calling for a ‘Texas solution’ to expand Medicaid in the Lone Star State.  Here’s more from the campaign via press release…

San Antonio, TX —Senator Leticia Van de Putte, a pharmacist of over 30 years, was joined by colleagues as she released her Texas First Health Care plan. Leticia’s Texas First plans focus on building a smart economy, strong communities, and secure families.

At Davila Pharmacy in San Antonio, where she works when not on the Senate floor in the Texas Capitol, Leticia called for a Texas solution to our health care challenges. Leticia’s plan increases access to care for Texas women, closes the coverage gap, protects Texas businesses from tax penalties, and promotes economic growth by drawing down billions in federal funds, putting Texas taxpayers dollars back to work for Texans.

Senator Leticia Van de Putte released the following statement:

“All hardworking Texans deserve health care, not just those that can afford it. For over thirty years, I have been listening to Texans across the prescription counter. I know the successes and the tragic shortcomings of the health care system in our state.

“As Lieutenant Governor, I’ll forge a Texas solution to draw down federal funds back to Texas taxpayers, protect Texas businesses, and expand access to affordable health care in our state. One out of every four Texans lacks health insurance, that system is unsustainable, bad for business, and bad for Texas families.”

Texans are losing big time by refusing to take the ACA Medicaid expansion money.  Not only are we forcing hospitals to shoulder the burden of seeing millions of people who don’t have insurance through the Emergency Room, but simultaneously we are paying for better healthcare in other states.  With her release today, Senator Van de Putte ends any and all speculation of where her campaign stands on healthcare issues.  If elected, she is sure to support healthcare expansion during the next legislative session.

Contrast this plan with that of her Republican opponent Dan Patrick, who remains staunchly opposed to any form of increased access to healthcare in the state.

The choice in this election is sure to affect the lives of millions of Texans.  Reading this, you may know someone (or be someone) living in fear of getting sick because you can’t afford to go to the doctor.  But this fall, Texans can choose not to be trapped in a constant cycle of fear from their health.  Gone are the days when Republicans could just demonize the Affordable Care Act and coast to reelection.  The law may be imperfect, but no one can deny that it has made a positive impact on the national healthcare system, especially in those states that haven’t fought ACA implementation to the core.  This November, it’s time to bring some new leadership to Texas and put the state’s people first.

Houston Politics

Texas Health Scare: The Silent Majority

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In watching the historic litigation over Health Care this week, many are left to wonder what the Supreme Court’s ruling will be. Three days of vigorous discussions that mostly centered on the Individual Mandate. To be certain there is much more debate ahead before the landmark ruling (full audio and transcript here via NPR).

But there is one constant in the HealthCare battle that no one is talking about… the millions of people in our country that remain uninsured. They can’t go to the Doctor, the Dentist, or anywhere to get regular check-ups and wellness visits, but instead have to wait until a crisis point occurs and be admitted to the ER. No where else is this a greater problem than in the state of Texas, with the nation’s highest percentage of uninsured people… roughly 6.3 million residents.

It should come as no surprise that Texas, having the highest percentage of the uninsured, also has some of the nation’s most dire health care crises. Houston’s Memorial Hermann was named the “Busiest Trauma Center in the US” by ABC in 2009. Sadly since then the situation hasn’t gotten much better. Houston-area ERs are still inundated by an ever-growing number of uninsured patients who have nowhere else to turn. Texas isn’t rushing to help them however… the Governor and lawmakers in Austin continue to put their political principles over the needs of real Texans, and are playing political football with the Federal Government in its attempt to help our state.

One of the most recent stunts affects the Texas Women’s Health Program. Governor Perry and Austin politicians have just recently decided to remove funding from the program if it goes to Planned Parenthood (eventhough this has never been a problem in the past). According to the State Comptroller’s Office, Texas Healthcare costs are skyrocketing faster than any time in history. Between 2005 and 2009, state Healthcare expenditures have grown by 36%. Factors cited for this growth include costs that continue to be driven by an unbridled private market, an increase of Emergency Room use across all sectors (but especially the uninsured and MediCaid patients), and a growing number of specialty tests per patient. It’s clear that Governor Perry doesn’t have the money or the time to play with ANY Healthcare funding. If we turn down funds for TWHP, where do we expect them to come from?

More of the same is at play with the Affordable Care Act. Originally a Conservative idea, the GOP has become so obsessed with defeating President Obama that they have run away from their own previous positions and forced the Supreme Court to argue the semantics of the law. Even Liberals will tell you that “Obamacare” is far from perfect, but it is much better than doing nothing, and waiting until costs and emergencies are far beyond our control. We’ll soon have longer wait times, for more severe issues.

So the question remains… Who is going to drop the politics and stand up for the betterment of all Texans?? Apparently we can’t expect our Governor or the Legislature to do so. Our fate lies only among those 9 justices in the Supreme Court. And even then, Perry will probably find a way to shoot us in the foot for the sake of politics. Great… another ER visit!!