From paralyzed Texans trapped in bed for hours on end to children denied care vital to keeping them alive, a recent investigation by The Dallas Morning News revealed how the state is failing to provide care for some of its most vulnerable citizens. Lawmakers will meet this month to see what they can do about it.
The House Human Services Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss the state’s managed care system, in which Texas hires private companies to coordinate health care for many people on Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program. On June 27, the House General Investigating and Ethics Committee and a subcommittee of House Appropriations will discuss the newspaper’s report.
The investigation released by The Dallas Morning News this month found that Medicaid managed care companies withhold patient care and medical equipment under a system that pays them a flat fee for every Texan in the program. The government-subsidized health care system has expanded in Texas in recent years and money that the companies don’t spend caring for Texans can go toward paying lobbyists and executives’ bonuses, the newspaper reported.
– The Texas Tribune