By: Lucio S.C.R. No. 75 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Lower Rio Grande Valley is an area of Texas 1-2 vital to the economic success and well-being of the state; and 1-3 WHEREAS, The area faces a variety of challenges, one of which 1-4 is a significant demand for indigent health care; this need is 1-5 complicated by transportation issues and other difficulties 1-6 affecting patient access to health care services; and 1-7 WHEREAS, The State of Texas operates the South Texas Hospital 1-8 in the city of Harlingen, and this institution provides critically 1-9 needed health care services to indigent patients in the Lower Rio 1-10 Grande Valley; and 1-11 WHEREAS, State funds used to provide indigent health care 1-12 services at the South Texas Hospital have been used to obtain 1-13 matching federal funds through the Medicaid disproportionate share 1-14 hospital program and their use has increased the resources 1-15 available to provide health care services to indigent patients 1-16 throughout Texas; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The South Texas Hospital's physical facilities are 1-18 in need of major renovation, and there are other hospitals in the 1-19 Lower Rio Grande Valley that can provide inpatient services needed 1-20 by the indigent population of the region; and 1-21 WHEREAS, The mission of the South Texas Hospital and the 1-22 public good will best be served by contracting with public and 1-23 private hospitals in the Lower Rio Grande Valley so that they may 1-24 provide inpatient services to the indigent population; and 2-1 WHEREAS, If the state intends to continue its commitment to 2-2 provide needed health services to the people of the Lower Rio 2-3 Grande Valley, then the Texas Legislature must encourage the 2-4 federal government to continue matching state funds used to provide 2-5 eligible inpatient services and to participate in innovative 2-6 approaches that maximize local, state, and federal resources to 2-7 address the pressing need for indigent health services in Texas; 2-8 now, therefore, be it 2-9 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-10 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to 2-11 qualify the contributions made by the State of Texas for eligible 2-12 inpatient hospital services provided by contract in the Lower Rio 2-13 Grande Valley for federal matching funds under the Medicaid 2-14 disproportionate share hospital program; and, be it further 2-15 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-16 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-17 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 2-18 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of 2-19 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 2-20 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 2-21 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.