Skipping Medicaid Expansion Will Cost Texas Community Health Centers $98 Million

Rick Perry's refusal to expand Medicaid in Texas is costly in many ways. It will cost businesses $400 million in tax penalties. It's costing over one million Texans health insurance coverage who are stuck in the Medicaid coverage gap--with incomes too high for Medicaid but too low for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. And it is costing the state of Texas over $9 billion in federal funds to help insure low-income individuals.

According to a new study, one of the institutions hardest hit by this loss of funds will be federally-funded community health centers. These health centers are designed to provide comprehensive, high-quality primary care to underserved and vulnerable populations. And thanks to Rick Perry, federally-funded community health centers in Texas will lose out on over $98 million of federal funds, denying over 160,000 Texans vital health coverage.

This will have both short-term and long-term consequences for community health centers in Texas, as they lose access to vital resources that would have helped them stay afloat and eventually expand their services.

Texas is one of several southern states who refused Medicaid expansion, affecting their community health centers. A new study from researchers at George Washington University found that nationwide, over a million community health center patients will remain uninsured because of states skipping Medicaid expansion. Community health centers in these states will lose over $560 million in federal funds.

More at http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/15235/skipping-medicaid-expansion-will-cost-texas-community-health-centers-98-million .