Texas

TexasTowelie

(112,456 posts) Fri Mar 28, 2014, 07:19 PM Mar 2014

Sebelius Blames Texas Opposition for State's Lagging Obamacare Signups

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was in Austin today, as part of the final push for people to sign up for health insurance ahead of a Monday deadline. She also came to urge Texas leaders to expand Medicaid eligibility.

During her comments, Sebelius said although everything is bigger in Texas, having the highest rate of uninsured in the U.S. is nothing to boast about.

To chip away at the roughly 25 percent of Texans without health insurance, Sebelius renewed her call for Texas leaders to expand Medicaid eligibility.

"Because if Texas doesn’t take up the portion of the Affordable Care Act that would expand Medicaid coverage for the lowest income working Texans, there’ll still be a major coverage gap," Sebelius said.

More at http://kut.org/post/sebelius-blames-texas-opposition-states-lagging-obamacare-signups .

3 replies

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Sebelius Blames Texas Opposition for State's Lagging Obamacare Signups (Original Post) TexasTowelie Mar 2014 OP

I agree that the opposition hurt Texas, onestepforward Mar 2014 #1

The Internal Revenue Service could have sent out a tax information booklet about ACA DhhD Mar 2014 #2

Yes, that could have been one way to get information out there. onestepforward Mar 2014 #3

onestepforward

(3,691 posts)

1. I agree that the opposition hurt Texas,

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Fri Mar 28, 2014, 11:06 PM

Mar 2014

but I also saw no significant push for the ACA here. The lack of awareness seems to be the biggest factor in low sign-up:

DhhD

(4,695 posts)

2. The Internal Revenue Service could have sent out a tax information booklet about ACA

Reply to onestepforward (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 29, 2014, 11:12 AM

Mar 2014

We received the last nationally mailed out instructions publication, for the 2009 income tax year, which included two return forms and a mail back envelope with address labels.

I saw no publications about the 2014 ACA information on their web site even though you can have your refund, or part of it, put toward your 2014 taxes.

The 2013 tax return forms could have given information about the government web sites for ACA information.

Information could have come through updating W2 Forms at your employer's office.

onestepforward

(3,691 posts)

3. Yes, that could have been one way to get information out there.

Reply to DhhD (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 29, 2014, 12:16 PM

Mar 2014

Houston's R&B radio station has been advocating for it. They had Sheila Jackson-Lee on yesterday encouraging folks to sign up. Even a local art gallery I'm loosely associated with has been trying to get people to sign up with free food and live music

The next sign-up will be in November and I will do what I can months before to get the word out, including pressing large organizations, like LULAC, to help.

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