Football is back in Texas. And so is the legislature – even though their session has ended.
The Longhorns and Texans are off to hot starts, and the legislature is putting in the early work to deliver a win for taxpayers in the next budget season.
That’s why the Texas State Senate is holding a special hearing to learn how Gov. Greg Abbott’s Health and Human Services Commission (HHS) is combatting waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, a program that accounts for more than 40 percent of the state budget.
While this public hearing in the middle of September might seem like a blip on the radar compared to the presidential election or the crisis at the southern border, the future of Medicaid is closely linked with the outcomes of these two issues.
Texans should care deeply about the actions leaders in Austin are taking to protect the integrity of this program for taxpayers and the truly needy.
Medicaid is a federal entitlement program administered by the states that provides taxpayer-funded health coverage to low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and children in low-income households. ObamaCare allowed states to expand this coverage to low-income able-bodied adults, and 40 states have taken up that offer.
Texas has been wise so far to reject Medicaid expansion.
Source: Op-Ed: Texas Legislature is setting taxpayers up for a big win, even in their offseason / Opinion