TX:Courts reject new Medicaid rules: no cut benefits for parental errors

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3165000

AUSTIN - The Texas Workforce Commission violated federal law when it tried to cut health care for welfare mothers whose children skip school or miss a doctor's appointment, a federal panel has ruled.

U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower federal court late last week, agreeing that the state agency can't deny Medicaid benefits to working welfare mothers who fail to follow the state's parenting rules under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

At issue are rules adopted by the Texas Workforce Commission in 2003 to expand the definition of "work requirements" to include abstaining from substance abuse and ensuring children go to school and see doctors on time for immunizations and checkups. The Medicaid rules, which courts have never allowed to go into effect, could have cut medical benefits for about 2,400 poor parents in Texas.

Since September 2003, when cash benefits could be cut to families not meeting work participation or parenting rules, a monthly average of 6,000 adults and 14,500 children have lost cash welfare benefits, according to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin think tank.

:puke:

http://www.dhs.state.tx.us/programs/TexasWorks/WelfareReform/

Welfare reform was one of Governor George Bush's legislative priorities when he took office in 1994. Senator Judith Zaffirini and Representative Harvey Hilderbran sponsored House Bill (HB) 1863, which the 74th Texas Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law on June 13, 1995.

Texas sought a waiver from the federal government to implement HB 1863. The waiver was approved in March 1996, and Texas began implementing parts of the law in June 1996. The waiver expires in March 2002, at which time Texas will have to have phased out waiver policies that conflict with federal law and be in compliance with federal requirements.

HB 1863 includes:

Personal Responsibility Agreement
Everyone applying for or receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash benefits is required to sign a responsibility agreement as a condition of getting benefits, except those in the control group. Parents agree to:

-keep their children in school, have them immunized, and complete required health screenings;
-cooperate with child-support collection efforts;
-participate in job-training or education programs;
-not voluntarily quit a job;
-not abuse alcohol or drugs; and
-attend parenting classes.

Benefits for single-parent families are reduced by $25 to $78 per month for each condition not met; the amount is $25 to $125 per month for two-parent families. Families are denied benefits completely if parents refuse to sign the agreement. This provision was implemented in June 1996.

:grr:

had the words "personal responsibility" in his head/vocabulary. Think he had to use a dictionary to look up the definition and correct spelling??

And why the hell are the words "Texas" and "violated (federal) law" never seen in MSM headlines? Tired of them being buried on TX newspapers' webpages that take a zillion mouseclicks to find (usually under "local" or "state"--and then the articles get archived ASAP)