Texas Medicaid program likely to surge under healthcare proposals

Dallas Morning News, July 24, 2009

The effort to insure tens of millions of uncovered Americans will almost certainly involve a sweeping expansion of Medicaid, with Texas probably feeling the impact more than any other state. Texas lawmakers have for years limited Medicaid's reach to low-income adults, who under Texas rules don't qualify for the program. One proposal by U.S. House lawmakers would provide federal funding to extend Medicaid to about 1 million Texas adults, according to the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities. That would be a massive jump from the 38,000 who qualify today.