Sec. Castro & Over 50 Texas Groups Urge Congress to Close Health Coverage Gap After Legislature Blocked Medicaid Expansion
For Immediate Release
Contact: Peter Clark, 512-473-2274, [email protected]
AUSTIN - Fifty-three Texas organizations joined colleagues from around the nation in urging Congress to use the Build Back Better reconciliation bill to permanently close the health coverage gap after the Texas legislature blocked efforts earlier this year to implement Medicaid expansion. The Texas groups were among the nearly 400 organizations who signed the letter to the U.S. Senate.
Former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro lent his support to the organizations’ efforts, explaining, "In Texas we know all too well the consequences of state lawmakers exploiting the Medicaid gap to deny people basic health care. With the highest uninsured rate in the country, our state has blocked millions of low-income, working class, and disabled Texans from accessing coverage, and Texas is just the tip of the iceberg. Now more than ever, we need Congress to step up, close the coverage gap, and ensure every single American can get quality health care."
The letter states, “This is not just about health care. It is a matter of racial justice.” It points out that across the nation, 60% of individuals in the health coverage gap are people of color. People in the coverage gap do not have access to health insurance because they live in one of the 12 states that have not accepted the Medicaid expansion funding offered by the federal government.
Texas organizations also recently joined with groups from around the nation to urge House Speaker Pelosi and Congress to permanently close the health coverage gap.
After the Texas Legislature blocked Medicaid expansion during the 2021 regular legislative session, Texas health care advocates joined with advocates from the other non-Medicaid expansion states under the Southerners for Medicaid expansion banner. Texas advocates have applauded the U.S. House for including a permanent and comprehensive solution to the health coverage gap in the current version of the Build Back Better legislation and urged the House, Senate, and White House to quickly pass the proposal.
“After our state leaders turned their backs on the health care needs of Texans, we are determined to make sure Congress provides a health insurance option to waitresses, grocery store workers, cooks, and other uninsured Texans with low-wage jobs,” said Laura Guerra-Cardus, Deputy Director of Children’s Defense Fund-Texas and a leader in the Southerners for Medicaid Expansion movement. “This is a test of Congress’ commitment to addressing racial injustice, and we’re going to make sure they pass the test.”
The following Texas organizations signed the letter to the U.S. Senate:
ADAPT of Texas
Autism Society of Texas
Center for Civic and Public Policy Improvement (CCPPI)
Children's Defense Fund - Texas
CitySquare
Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Cover Texas Now
Dillon Joyce Ltd
East Texas Human Needs Network
Every Texan, (formerly CPPP)
Feeding Texas
Green Careers Dallas
Houston Area Women’s Center
Indivisible Austin
International Valley Health Institute
Jewish Family Service Houston
Jolt Action
Family to Family Network
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE)
Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
NAMI Central Texas
NAMI Texas of Palestine
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Texas
National Association of Social Workers - Texas Chapter
New Hope Housing
Office of the County Judge - Dallas County
Panhandle Community Services
Pasadena Health Center
Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas
Pride Community Center, Inc
Proyecto Azteca
Proyecto Juan Diego Inc.,
Resource Center
Sick Of It Texas Campaign
Tahirih Justice Center - Houston
Texans Care for Children
Texas Academy of Family Physicians
Texas AFL-CIO
Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
Texas Association of Community Health Plans
Texas Data Quality Coalition
Texas Impact
Texas Organizing Project
Texas Parent to Parent
Texas Pediatric Society, the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians
The Afiya Center
The Good Life Outcomes program, at Change Happens! (Houston, TX)
United Way for Greater Austin
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
United Way of Southern Cameron County
United Way of Tarrant County
United Ways of Texas
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