With the passage of Senate Bill 10, the 80th Texas Legislature won significant, cost-saving reforms to the Medicaid program. SB 10 was a far-reaching proposal that provides the basis for future reforms, specifically requiring Medicaid recipients to meet minimum health standards in return for public support.
While the 80th Legislature should be lauded for achieving Medicaid reforms, the same Legislature increased mandates on private health plans and watered-down eligibility criteria for CHIP increasing the march toward universal health insurance at the expense of personal responsibility and private markets.
The Health & Human Services Task Force will examine cost-saving and personal responsibility changes to public benefit programs, as well as limiting regulations to bolster the private market for health insurance.
A sample of the TCCRI publications on Health & Human Services reform follows. Please visit www.txccri.org/publications to see all publications.
“CHIP Application Form: Are Four Pages Really a Barrier?”
“Reforming the Funding Mechanism of the Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool”
“New Requirements will Make Welfare Work”
Also, see the final report of the 2005 Health & Human Services Task Force: