1-1 By: Wohlgemuth, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Harris) H.C.R. No. 138 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001; 1-3 May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance; 1-4 May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, 1-5 Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, Through the Medicaid program the federal government 1-8 matches state funding to provide certain low-income elderly, 1-9 disabled, and children with health care coverage; and 1-10 WHEREAS, To access federal funds, the State of Texas is 1-11 obligated to provide certain health care benefits to individuals 1-12 eligible for Medicaid without regard to costs or the actual needs 1-13 of individuals; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The Medicaid program now represents almost 1-15 one-quarter of Texas' biennial budget in all funds, having 1-16 increased four-fold during the last 10 years due to population 1-17 growth, medical inflation, and expanded eligibility; and 1-18 WHEREAS, During the same 10-year period, the rate of 1-19 individuals without health insurance in Texas has remained 1-20 substantially unchanged; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Medicaid offers little flexibility for Texas to 1-22 develop innovative methods of providing health care to individuals 1-23 with low incomes or with acute health care needs as it requires 1-24 permission from the federal government to make changes in the 1-25 program; and 1-26 WHEREAS, The recent experience of welfare reform at the 1-27 federal level has provided Texas with the opportunity to use 1-28 federal funds in a flexible manner while providing necessary 1-29 services to many; and 1-30 WHEREAS, Texas has been able to move significant numbers of 1-31 individuals from welfare to work by virtue of the flexibility 1-32 afforded by congress; and 1-33 WHEREAS, As recently as 1996, congress proposed returning 1-34 Medicaid funds to the state as a block grant; and 1-35 WHEREAS, Providing Medicaid funds to Texas as a block grant, 1-36 with consideration for population growth and demographics, would 1-37 offer the flexibility needed to meet the unique needs of the state 1-38 and provide better access to quality health care; now, therefore, 1-39 be it 1-40 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-41 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to 1-42 provide Medicaid funds to Texas in the form of a block grant; and, 1-43 be it further 1-44 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 1-45 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 1-46 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 1-47 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of 1-48 the Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 1-49 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 1-50 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. 1-51 * * * * *