Why Wait on Washington to Improve Health Care in Texas? Step Up, Austin

Since the Senate failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, attention has focused on stabilizing the individual insurance market. Rightly so, because premiums are rising, many areas have too few insurers, and President Donald Trump threatened to cut subsidies. With fall enrollment approaching, there’s a need to act.But health care problems are evident elsewhere, too, and some of the blame goes beyond Washington. Austin, we’re talking about you.Texas is one of 19 states where lawmakers chose to not expand Medicaid, a key plank of the Affordable Care Act. Every year, the consequences are clearer as expansion states reap more health gains. That’s one reason the Affordable Care Act has survived a GOP Congress.More than 1 million Texans stand to gain coverage under Medicaid expansion, and the federal government would cover at least 90 percent of the costs. Critics like to say that’s taxpayer money, which is true enough. What’s more relevant is whether it comes back to Texas or goes elsewhere.  Continue reading...