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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas could produce better health |
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outcomes for enrollees and could better protect taxpayers through |
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Medicaid block grants; and |
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WHEREAS, States are often constrained in delivering adequate |
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health care to residents in need because of onerous federal |
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regulations; block grants, however, would enable states to design |
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health care programs that best serve their citizens and to better |
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handle fluctuations in the economy, population growth, and health |
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care costs; and |
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WHEREAS, According to the Texas Health and Human Services |
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Commission, the state would have saved $4 billion on health care in |
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2015 by using block grants instead of the present Medicaid model; |
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moreover, annual cost savings under a block grant program could |
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exceed $6 billion by 2023; and |
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WHEREAS, Such savings could allow the state to increase |
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public education funding and relieve a notable burden from school |
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districts and property tax payers; currently, Texas provides less |
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than 40 percent of funding for school districts, with property |
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taxes making up the difference; without additional funding by the |
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state, the obligation will continue to fall to homeowners; and |
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WHEREAS, The current Medicaid program constrains the state's |
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ability to address health care needs at the local level and places |
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unnecessary financial strain on taxpayers; savings from block |
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grants would allow Texas to better address the needs of its citizens |
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at the local level; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the United States Congress to provide the Lone Star |
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State with Medicaid block grants and allow Texas to administer its |
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own health care for the poor; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all members |
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of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this |
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resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to |
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the Congress of the United States of America. |