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Rick Perry Announces Texas Won’t Implement the Affordable Care Act, Leaving Millions of Texans Uninsured
Think Progress / News Report
Published: Monday 9 July 2012
Texas was recently ranked worst in the country for health care delivery by the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, scoring “weak” or “very weak” in nine of 12 categories.
Early Monday morning, Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced that Texas won’t create a state insurance exchange nor accept expanded Medicaid funds outlined in the Affordable Care Act. In a statement, Perry said, “Neither a ‘state’ exchange nor the expansion of Medicaid under this program would result in better ‘patient protection’ or in more ‘affordable care.’”
Perry’s announcement is an especially harmful move because Texas will benefit more from the Affordable Care Act than any other state. Texas was recently ranked worst in the country for health care delivery by the federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, scoring “weak” or “very weak” in nine of 12 categories. Perry’s office discounted the study as overly broad, and has argued that Texans’ real problem is personal health choices, not lack of health insurance.
More than 25 percent of Texans – 6,234,900 people – are uninsured, the highest rate in the nation. After five years of the Affordable Care Act, Texas would be able to insure 1,798,314 more Americans under the Medicaid expansion alone – more than any state in the nation. Setting up a state health insurance exchange would enable the remaining millions of uninsured Texans to purchase affordable health insurance. Thus, despite Perry’s claims, implementing the Affordable Care Act results in better patient protection and in more affordable care.
Though the Supreme Court ruled that states can reject the expanded Medicaid funds without any penalty, any state that refuses to set up a health insurance exchange will have one set up for them by the federal government. This doesn’t lessen the impact of Perry’s decision to deny 1.8 million uninsured Texans the opportunity to be covered under Medicaid. He joins other Republican governors across the country in pledging to or considering turning down $258 billion in Medicaid funds and leaving 9.2 million Americans uninsured. A new study by the Brookings Institution found that states led by Republican governors have the most uninsured Americans, making political moves like Perry’s particularly harmful to Americans’ health.
25 comments on "Rick Perry Announces Texas Won’t Implement the Affordable Care Act, Leaving Millions of Texans Uninsured"
July 10, 2012 11:44am
Another GOP flip-flopper. First he wanted to give college aid to illegal aliens.
July 10, 2012 7:16am
I cannot imagine that the senior citizens of his state are going to be very happy to hear that he has refused this. When will these poor and middle class republicans quit enabling these rich republicans to destroy their health care and social security? Can they be that obtuse that they think it is a good thing? When they are out on the curb and penniless we'll have to ask them the same question. Of course by them, they won't be allowed to vote because they will have to have a permanent address or they cannot vote. ;-)
July 09, 2012 6:15pm
perry thinks that by not providing extra benefits the welfare people will move to a state that does
July 09, 2012 6:01pm
Texans are not fond of spending other people's money. Californians, not so much.
July 09, 2012 5:48pm
I live in Texas. Texas is a very discouraging place. Why anyone would want to deny health care to their fellow man yet claim to be Christians escapes me. The justifications for this inhumanity are many and none are valid. Perry and his billionaire cronies run Texas with gerrymandering and dollars. We all saw Perry in his presidential TV ads talk about how something was wrong when Gays could openly serve in our military, a fundamentalist ignorance he was proud of.
Millions of Texans hate Obama and did before he was elected. There has not been a state wide election where a Democrat has won since Anne Richards. It is a tragedy that people like Perry can build a political dynasty like they have.
Like I said, Texas is a discouraging place.
Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania
July 09, 2012 3:24pm
If you are a Texas citizen and have no job or health insurance, you can always turn to a life of crime and get a free execution in the State's electric chair. It's now so so busy that they are putting in an express lane.
July 09, 2012 3:19pm
If you see a Texas License Plate in your state, go over and thank the people in the car for giving their Federal Income Tax to the rest of the country while their governor rejects any of the Federal Benefits that their taxes funded. Thousands of poor Texas children go without even basic healthcare due to Perry rejecting Medicaid funding set aside for them, meanwhile all the Republican Bubbas in Austin slap each other on the back and tell each other how they deprived a poor child of their rights. We were a Democrat stronghold for decades up until the 1980s when the National Democrat Party was taken over by the neo-liberals like the Clintons and formed a mutual admiration society with their Republican Brethren. Texans can’t be too surprised over this mess as we haven’t had a Democrat in power since the late great Ann Richards was governor !
July 09, 2012 2:48pm
Perhaps the worst "Personal Health Choice" is living in a state that continually elects leaders who obviously don't give a damn about you unless you're flush with cash. Kinda gives "Deep in the Heart of" a whole new meaning. This is also the state with the largest and most pernicious "for-profit" prison industry. My condolences to Texans with a conscience. To the rest of you all one can say is "you sure know how to pick 'em."
July 09, 2012 3:35pm
It's not hard to game the system when the Republican majority in Austin hold all the cards, all it takes is a regular dose of gerrymandering voting districts to insure that even our predominant Latino population, who are over whelming Democrat, can't even vote them out ! We haven't seen an honest election is this state for so long that we have all forgotten what one looks like !
July 09, 2012 4:41pm
Fair enough Richard. You obviously live in the state so your perspective is appreciated. I only know what I read and much of that tells me Texas has become mighty regressive. To be honest, a helluva lot of states are heading in that direction. I live in California where our "formerly" Liberal Governor, Jerry Brown, is repeatedly aping the minority Conservatives by continually attempting to balance the budget on the backs of those least able to absorb the effects. Thanks also for putting some of the onus of failing Democrats on the back of the ever deserving Bill Clinton. The "photo-op" waiting to happen has a LOT to do with why the Democrats are perceived as ineffectual and the Republicans/Conservatives were able, and still are, to get away with the many injustices they have. Have you seen ANY Wall St. miscreants sitting in court, or better yet, a jail cell? They DO, however, occupy choice positions as Cabinet members or advisers to President Obama. Democrats only get elected to the Presidency nowadays by cutting deals with Republicans and suspicious looking "canines" strangely painted blue. That, and "sucking up" to the "ministers of malfeasance" who "pay" for electoral "Democracy."
July 09, 2012 1:57pm
Just want to remind that most progressives were upset that Obama refused to champion single-payor, and instead championed the very plan that Repubs proposed in the 90's. For everything good one can say about it, there is a macro-flaw or an insidious micro-flaw like this one. Yes, enfuriating, but that's the compromise Obama put on the table and fought FOR, in the process squandering a Congressional majority and public support for a reversal of the great ongoing transfer of wealth from the many to the few. A battle was arguably won, and the war was lost. FYI, CBO estimates that starting in 2014, 3 million lower-income non-exempted Americans unable to afford a qualifying health insurance premium will be paying a tax penalty that rises to significance by 2016 and thereafter. Such flaws will come back to haunt, and explain what I mean by a "battle arguably won".
July 09, 2012 1:34pm
This is what happens when people stop thinking for themselves. I am a Dem from Texas and I have a lot of Rep friends. Before the SC ruling, they assured me that ACA was illegal without knowing many of the components of the bill. After the ruling a few of them looked it up and changed their minds. However the "faithful" agree with the Rep. They "ain't gonna pay taxes for other people!" A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but giving it to the Republicans is a sin against mankind.
July 09, 2012 6:01pm
Truly the LONE star state. Everyone for their self.
July 09, 2012 2:18pm
Well said!!!!
July 09, 2012 1:25pm
WHY do the people of Texas keep re electing this idiot? He should be tarred and feathered and run out of town on a rail.
July 09, 2012 2:55pm
You've got to have another challenging party to run against him so all the elections are just a formality. We haven't had a real Democrat party in Texas for almost twenty years, their all neo-liberals like the national party and too busy selling the population down the river so they can qualify for the same special interest money that the Republicans have been getting !
July 09, 2012 12:40pm
demo gov nixon agrees with perry he will not unless leg forces him to
July 09, 2012 11:53am
Health care , like Education is a right of all people- not just the upper class.
July 09, 2012 11:51am
After reading this I have but one comment to offer: "How dare they!"
July 09, 2012 10:59am
Other than Perry's tantrum over having his ego crushed in his loss of a shot at the presidency, Texans are not stupid. Most of my relatives are Texans and are kind and gracious people. They are quite capable of moving elsewhere and will take their money and businesses with them.
July 09, 2012 11:10am
Mr. Thomas, While I don't blame you, it is sad that you and your family will leave Texas. You are the kind of people Texas needs to stay and change it for the better. If possible.
July 09, 2012 10:49am
Jeezuz told Rick Perry to deny health care to the poor.
July 09, 2012 10:47am
What do you expect from a state that keeps electing Gov. OOOPS and is one of the biggest polluters with almost total freedom for bidness with little fear of consequences of their actions. The AG is asleep at the wheels and bidnessmen are fleecing the public. Complaints are seemingly falling on deaf ears. The state seems to be controlled by the worst of the worst GOP types. It continues in the way because there seems to be no independent, unembedded journalists to cover the darker side of Texas politics/bidness.
July 09, 2012 10:46am
Letting someone endanger themselves is one thing. Letting someone like Perry and other republican governors endanger millions should be illegal and punishable by jail.
July 09, 2012 12:08pm
I agree. Texans are better than this.