2022 HEALTH CARE EDITION
would make 223,700 more people eli- gible in Harris County and result in 167,500 new enrollments. Expansion in Harris County would come at a cost of $949.9 million to the federal govern- ment and $105.5 million to Texas. Ahead of the next legislative session, which will kick o in January, several local representatives said Medicaid is top of mind. Those opposed to expan- sion said Texas would still be on the hook for about $500 million in pro- gram costs and questioned the e ects it would have on improving health care outcomes in the state. “Medicaid expansion ... does not necessarily equal expanded access to care,” Republican state Rep. Cody Vasut said. “Many providers in Texas do not accept new Medicaid patients.” Even if Medicaid is not expanded, Democratic state Rep. Ann Johnson said there are things that can be done to improve the system. “We should be taking care of the most vulnerable in our state,” she said.
COST OF EXPANSION To date, 12 U.S. states have not adopted Medicaid expansion, including Texas. Researchers with Texas A&M University calculated what the cost would be to the state and the federal government to expand in each Texas county.
Expanded Medicaid Has not expanded Medicaid
MEDICAID ENROLLMENT PER 100,000 PEOPLE
NEW YORK 35,809
HARRIS COUNTY
Enrollment: 898,567* WITH STATE EXPANSION
CALIFORNIA 33,956
New eligibility: 223,700 New enrollment predicted: 167,500 WITH STATE EXPANSION Cost to federal government: $949.9M
TEXAS 17,831
FLORIDA 20,840
Cost to Texas: $105.5M
*AS OF OCTOBER 2021 SOURCES: U.S. CENSUS, KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
three, a Texas resident must have an income at 16% of the federal poverty level, according to KFF. As a result, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured individuals of all states, according to the KFF. Nationally, about 8.6% of people are uninsured,
compared to 17.5% in Texas. In the ve ZIP codes that make up the Heights, River Oaks and Montrose area—77006, 77007, 77008, 77019 and 77098—the percentage of people who are uninsured ranged from 4.2%-7.9%, according to the 2020 U.S. census.
Meanwhile, the percentage of peo- ple enrolled in Medicaid ranged from 2%-6.1%. Researchers with Texas A&M Univer- sity released a study into the economic e ects of Medicaid expansion in 2019. The study found expanding Medicaid
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY “At Legacy Pharmacy, we take the time to listen to each patient and their concerns. It’s all about ensuring patients receive the care and medications they need to be their healthiest.” — GONZALO ESTRADA, Pharmacist Our team builds relationships with patients that enable us to better serve all of their health and wellness needs.
Learn more about how we go above and beyond at LegacyCommunityHealth.org/Pharmacy
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HEIGHTS RIVER OAKS MONTROSE EDITION • JUNE 2022
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