PUBLIC BENEFITS: HEALTH CARE ACCESS


The center focuses on health care access, immigrants' access to services, food and nutrition, the state's eligibility and enrollment system, and TANF.

Recent Health Care Access Publications

Legislative Update on Health Care in Texas (12/1/2005)
A Texas health care legislative update delivered by Anne Dunkelberg at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Fact Sheets: Accessing Medications and Vision Care in Texas Medicaid and CHIP (11/2/2005)
Authored by Amanda Navarro and Barbara Best of the Children's Defense Fund-Texas and CPPP's Anne Dunkelberg, these materials were developed by the Houston/Harris County Covering Kids and Families Access Initiative as part of a two year grant by the The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the Children's Defense Fund of Texas. Houston is one of 17 national projects in the initiative, and one of two Texas projects. CPPP provided Technical Assistance to both of the two local Texas projects, and worked with CDF and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to review these materials for accuracy. In research with 300 families and over 50 pharmacists and providers, CDF uncovered a number of difficulties families face in getting prescriptions filled through CHIP/Medicaid, as well as questions and concerns among providers and pharmacists. A number of questions also arose about vision beenfits in Medicaid and CHIP. The CDF team developed several informational flyers for parents, pharmacists, and health care providers based on this work. Please feel free to distribute.

Update on Children's Health Care and More (10/4/2005)
Presentation that Anne Dunkelberg delivered before a meeting of the Department of State Health Services in Harlingen, TX.

Power Struggle Over Katrina Funding: CPPP's Analysis (09/22/2005)
There are two deals on the table about the best way to pay for Katrina health care relief. This Policy Page describes the differences between the Texas waiver and the bipartisan relief bill, identifying the provisions of the bill that the Medicaid waiver does not address and discussing possible ramifications of the waiver approach versus the relief bill.

Two Wins (09/20/2005)
We are happy to report that acting together, we moved Congress. The Senate has now delayed the deadline for budget cuts to late October and the deadline for tax cuts to early November. On another front, we are pleased to announce that our state leadership has given the green light to the Health and Human Service Commission to restore mental health benefits for adults on Medicaid.

State & Local Gov: Challenges of the Fiscal Relationship (08/5/2005)
Presentation in Dallas by Eva De Luna Castro to National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Policy Institute on Sustainable Communities, on changes in state and local government sources of revenue/taxes/federal aid.

CPPP Celebrates Medicaid's 40th Birthday (07/28/2005)
On Thursday, the Center for Public Policy Priorities and more than 50 other Texas organizations hosted a birthday party press briefing to celebrate 40 years of Medicaid. In conjunction with the event, the Texas Senate passed a resolution recognizing Medicaid's birthday and the "critical role it plays in the health care of this state's most vulnerable citizens."

Look Who's 40: Medicaid Clients & Experts to Celebrate Program's Birthday and Urge Congress to Keep Program Healthy (07/28/2005)
Join Medicaid clients and health care experts for a Happy Birthday Medicaid press briefing/party in the Lt. Governor’s Reception Room on Thursday, July 28 at 11 a.m. Medicaid turns 40 on July 30.

Partial Restoration of Programs Cut in 2003, Some New Investment: How Medicaid, CHIP, other Health Services Fared in SB 1, the 2006-2007 State Budget (07/11/2005)
The Regular Session of the 79th Texas Legislature has ended and SB 1, the state budget bill for 2006 and 2007 has been passed. The Governor has vetoed certain line items in the budget. The bill incorporates funding to restore some of the Medicaid, CHIP and other health care programs cut by the 2003 Legislature, but leaves some major 2003 cuts unrepaired, and the fate of others up in the air.

Houston KIDS COUNT Conference on Children Powerpoint Presentations (06/15/2005)
The following presentations were given at the Houston KIDS COUNT Conference on Children, a half-day conference on children's issues in the wake of the 79th Legislative Session.

Call Now to Expand Health Care for Uninsured Women (05/16/2005)
On Tuesday, May 17, the House Committee on Public Health will hear testimony on SB 747 by Senator John Carona, “Relating to establishing a demonstration project for women's health care services,” also known as a Medicaid Women’s Health and Family Planning “waiver.” This is a rare opportunity to support a program expansion that could provide basic medical check-ups and birth control services to uninsured adult Texas women up to 185% of the poverty line (that’s $2,481 per month pre-tax income for a family of 3 in 2005). Best of all, this program will actually save Texas money right away. The federal government will pay 90 cents on every dollar of family planning care, and Texas Medicaid will save a projected $135 million in 2006 and 2007 because of fewer pregnancies covered by Medicaid.

CHIP Update: Legislature Considering Only Partial Restoration of 2003 Cuts (05/11/2005)
There are two ways in which the changes and cuts to CHIP imposed by the 78th Legislature in 2003 can be reversed: through the budget bill, and through separate bills designed to restore the original CHIP program policies. So far, the conference committee on SB 1 (the state appropriations bill for 2006-2007) has agreed only to restore CHIP vision and dental benefits, and to allow a new (less expensive) CHIP premium policy to be implemented. No bills have been passed to reverse the remaining 2003 CHIP cuts. This Policy Page sums up what is “on the table” for CHIP restoration, what is at risk in terms of NEW cuts, and which of the 2003 cuts seem likely to remain, and recommends top-priority changes.

ALERT: Support Needed NOW to Restore Hearing Aids, Eyeglasses and Vision Care, and Podiatry for Aged and Disabled Medicaid Clients (05/5/2005)
The conference committee on SB 1 (the state appropriations bill for 2006-2007) has so far NOT agreed to restore Medicaid podiatry, eyeglasses, or hearing aid benefits for adults on Medicaid, which were cut by the 78th Legislature. Messages to the House’s budget conferees are needed NOW to urge them to “finish the job” and approve funding to allow these impoverished and predominantly elderly or disabled Texans to access vital services.

Testimony and Information in Support of HB 122 by Naishtat: Restoring Mental Health Professional Services for Adult Medicaid Clients (05/4/2005)
Q: Can adult clients get their mental health professional services from Medicare? A: More than 60% cannot. In April 2005, there were 864,894 adults on Texas Medicaid. Of these, 670,157 (77%) were elderly or disabled (353,537 elderly, and 316,620 disabled or blind).

Combined Impact of Medically Needy Cut and TANF Sanctions: Medicaid Coverage of Parents in Poverty has Dropped by 30 Percent with 78th Legislature’s Changes (04/25/2005)
Absent the changes enacted by the 78th Legislature (i.e., elimination of Medically Needy coverage for impoverished parents, and the new Medicaid and full-family sanctions in TANF), we would expect AT LEAST 44,900 more parents to be covered in FY 2005. (This is a conservative estimate, because it does not attempt to capture the GROWTH in overage above 2003 levels that might have occurred without the cuts and TANF policy changes.)

Can Aged and Disabled Medicaid Clients Get Eyeglasses, Hearing Aids, and Services of Podiatrists, Mental Health Professionals, and Chiropractors Through Medicare? (04/21/2005)
In March, there were 863,391 adults on Texas Medicaid. Of these, 670,062 (78%) were elderly or disabled (353,932 elderly, and 316,130 disabled or blind). About 316,700 of the aged and disabled were full Medicaid-Medicare dual eligibles (47% of the aged and disabled). Thus about 353,800 of our aged or disabled adults (53%) DO NOT QUALIFY FOR MEDICARE, AND HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDICARE TO PICK UP THE BENEFITS THAT WERE CUT.

How the Senate and House Budgets Compare on Medicaid, CHIP, Other Health Services (04/20/2005)
The Senate and House versions of the state budget differ in some important respects in their proposed funding for Medicaid, CHIP and other health care programs (See Policy Page #228 for details on SB 1, the “base” General Appropriations Act for 2006-2007, as first introduced). Soon, the "conference committee" on the state budget will begin to hammer out a final compromise budget for the next two years. Proposed restorations of benefits cut in 2003, funding to reduce waiting lists, and funding simply to allow for population growth and inflation may not survive in the final budget unless the legislature adopts legislation that raises additional revenue to support state government.

Urge Your U.S. Senators to Oppose Federal Medicaid Cuts (03/10/2005)
Both the U.S. House and Senate budget proposals would cut Medicaid and CHIP funding for the states even more than the President’s recent budget proposal.

Can Adult Medicaid Clients Access Mental Health Care Despite Benefit Cuts? (03/2/2005)
Q: Can adult clients get their mental health professional services from Medicare? A: More than 60% cannot.

Senate Bill 47 by Nelson: Medicaid Biometric Finger Imaging Fraud Reduction Pilot Program (02/28/2005)
The Center for Public Policy Priorities appreciates this opportunity to comment on SB 47 by Chairman Nelson. CPPP has approached the biometric imaging with a goal of promoting and protecting ease of access to health care for Medicaid clients. We also support ease of use by Medicaid health care providers, because access to care requires that we not create disincentives for provider participation in Medicaid.

Can Aged and Disabled Medicaid Clients Get Eyeglasses, Hearing Aids, and Services of Podiatrists, Mental Health Professionals, and Chiropractors Through Medicare? (02/21/2005)
In January, there were 862,452 adults on Texas Medicaid. Of these, 667,561 (77%) were elderly or disabled (353,910 elderly, and 313,651 disabled or blind). 316,677 of the aged and disabled were full Medicaid-Medicare dual eligibles (47% of the aged and disabled). Thus 350,884 of our aged or disabled adults (53%) do not qualify for Medicare, and have no opportunity for Medicare to pick up the benefits that were cut.

House Bill 288 by Chavez: Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents (02/17/2005)
Only 1 in 9 Texans overall is on Medicaid, yet 7 of 10 Texans in a nursing home is on Medicaid (the same is true on average across the U.S.). Clearly, Texas' Nursing Home programs serve many middle-income Texans.

House Bill 24 by Thompson: Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents (02/17/2005)
Only 1 in 9 Texans overall is on Medicaid, yet 7 of 10 Texans in a nursing home is on Medicaid (the same is true on average across the U.S.). Clearly, Texas' Nursing Home programs serve many middle-income Texans.

House Bill 545 by Naishtat: Restore Podiatry Services for Adults on Medicaid (02/17/2005)
Who is on Texas Medicaid? As of January 2005, 2.7 million Texans were enrolled in Medicaid.

Comments on Proposed Medicaid and CHIP funding in SB 1 and HHSC Exceptional Items (02/11/2005)
Testimony before House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

Health Care and the 2005 Legislative Session: An Advocate's Perspective (02/6/2005)
Presentation at IAF Conference on Education and Health Issues.

House Begins Public Hearings on HHS Agencies Monday: How Medicaid, CHIP, Health Programs Stand in the LBB's Budget (02/4/2005)
Public hearings on the budget for Article II health and human service programs in SB 1, the General Appropriations Act for 2006-2007, will begin Monday February 7, in the Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC).

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