SRC-TBR H.C.R. 138 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.C.R. 138
By: Wohlgemuth (Harris)
Finance
5/10/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST

Through the Medicaid program the federal government matches state funding
to provide certain low-income elderly, disabled, and children with health
care coverage.  To access federal funds, the State of Texas is obligated to
provide certain health care benefits to individuals eligible for Medicaid
without regard to costs or the actual needs of individuals.  The Medicaid
program now represents almost one-quarter of Texas' biennial budget in all
funds, having increased four-fold during the last 10 years due to
population growth, medical inflation, and expanded eligibility. During the
same 10-year period, the rate of individuals without health insurance in
Texas has remained substantially unchanged and Medicaid offers little
flexibility for Texas to develop innovative methods of providing health
care to individuals with low incomes or with acute health care needs as it
requires permission from the federal government to make changes in the
program.  The recent experience of welfare reform at the federal level has
provided Texas with the opportunity to use federal funds in a flexible
manner while providing necessary services to many and Texas has been able
to move significant numbers of individuals from welfare to work by virtue
of the flexibility afforded by congress.  As recently as 1996, congress
proposed returning Medicaid funds to the state as a block grant and
providing Medicaid funds to Texas as a block grant, with  consideration for
population growth and demographics, would offer the flexibility needed to
meet the unique needs of the state and provide better access to quality
health care. 

PURPOSE

H.C.R. 138 submits the following proposals:

That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby respectfully urge
the Congress of the United States to provide Medicaid funds to Texas in the
form of a block grant; and, be it further 
resolved, that the Texas secretary of state forward official copies of this
resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of the
house of representatives and the president of the senate of the United
States Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to the
congress with the request that this resolution be officially entered in the
Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of
America.