Texas Official Recommends Restoring Medicaid Coverage to 8,300 Pregnant Women
Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins last week proposed restoring Medicaid income-based eligibility requirements for low-income pregnant women to levels that existed before state budget cuts in 2003, the Dallas Morning News reports (Garrett, Dallas Morning News, 6/24). Texas officials in July 2003 reduced Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women to 158% of the federal poverty level from 185%, a move that affected nearly 8,300 women (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/21/2003). Hawkins last week recommended spending $20.3 million in federal and state funds to cover women with restored eligibility, according to the Morning News (Dallas Morning News, 6/24). Texas HHS spokesperson Russell Smith said the commission made the recommendation to restore eligibility requirements because legislators had identified the issue as a "priority if additional funds became available," according to the AP/Houston Chronicle. State Senate Finance Committee Chair Steve Ogden (R) said he is in favor of restoring the requirements, adding that it would be "money well-spent because babies are getting prenatal care who otherwise might not" (AP/Houston Chronicle, 6/25). Hawkins also recommended allocating funds to offset a $600 million shortfall in Medicaid and the SCHIP programs and restoring special Medicaid payments to teaching hospitals that also treat many uninsured patients (Dallas Morning News, 6/24). Gov. Rick Perry (R) and the Legislative Budget Board must approve the changes before they can take effect. A spokesperson for Perry said the governor is "pleased" that Hawkins has identified cost savings and revenue sources and "will continue to work with him," according to the AP/Chronicle. No budget board meetings have been scheduled, but the board could take up the issue as early as this week, the Chronicle reports. If approved, the changes would take effect on Sept. 1 (AP/Houston Chronicle, 6/25).
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