The Texas Medicaid system is going through some major changes and millions of Texans are losing access to care.
The first problem is the return of Medicaid eligibility checks last year. During COVID, millions of Texans were allowed to remain on Medicaid, no questions asked. This was coupled with federal expansion of Medicaid to help low-income Americans weather the pandemic.
Those programs expired in April 2023. Since then, about 2 million Texans have lost coverage, mostly children. Many lost coverage thanks to the state’s famously stringent requirements to apply, often failing to fill out paperwork as needed or giving up during the lengthy, labyrinthian process.
A drop in the number of Texans on Medicaid also means a drop in the payments going to the state’s 650 community health centers. These centers serve the state’s poorest residents, and now they are looking at major losses in income as those patients cease treatment with the loss of Medicaid. In addition, chronic physical and mental health conditions that were previously managed under Medicaid become more acute as patients go without treatment when they lose coverage.
For more, see – Texans Who Rely On Medicaid Are In Big Trouble / Reform Austin
I practice in a low income area. I have seen my population of patients change. Many families have lost medicaid for their kids and are uneducated about renewing, getting the paperwork done etc. The elderly population has increased but they are also unaware of their benefits and need help navigating the system. It is extremely difficult to survive as a provider in this area because you want to help but the reimbursement rates leave me at a negative with the cost of providing treatment. Since 2023 we have been struggling to survive. Costs of goods increase and the reimbursements do not. The cost of quality employees is difficult. I can not afford to pay well or give raises in the environment that we work in. I am barely making ends meet. The need for care is so great for the elderly and the children.