Report: Incoming Texas Gov Asked About Medicaid Expansion Options

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott speaks during the Rio Grande Valley Gubernatorial Debate between him and Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis in Edinburg, Texas on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. The debate was the first of two s... Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott speaks during the Rio Grande Valley Gubernatorial Debate between him and Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis in Edinburg, Texas on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. The debate was the first of two scheduled before the November election. (AP Photo/The McAllen Monitor, Joel Martinez, Pool) MORE LESS
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Texas is the biggest get remaining for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, and recent reports indicate that the state’s incoming governor is taking a look at it.

The San Antonio Express-News reported last week that governor-elect Greg Abbott asked about Utah’s recently agreed-upon alternative Medicaid expansion plan during a recent private meeting with state lawmakers. Abbott was looking for additional information about that conservative state’s model, according to the report.

“I don’t even know anything about the Utah model, but it was encouraging because it sounded like at least he’s looking at options,” Carol Alvarado, one of the Democratic legislators who attended the meeting, said. “It was like, if he’s bringing this up, he’s not shutting the door on it. I think he’s open to looking at it.”

Abbott’s office declined to comment on the report. His predecessor, outgoing Gov. Rick Perry, has been one of the most steadfast opponents of accepting the key provision of Obamacare.

Texas is the biggest holdout on Medicaid expansion: More than 1 million low-income residents would qualify for health coverage under the program.

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  1. So the GOP doesn’t want to leave the Federal money sitting on the table and is slowly caving on Medicaid expansion. However, they are busily trying to take the subsidies away from middle-income folks who actually pay for a part of their premiums. Go figure. This is why the GOP is fukked up and can’t seem to change direction because it is a prisoner of its own ideology.

  2. Avatar for jw1 jw1 says:

    Our Gov-elect Gregg Abbott.
    Scam artist extraordinaire.

    Guessing all my ®-compadres here had no clue that voting against all-things-Obama–
    meant that the weasel they elected will now legislate-- in this case-- 180° opposite of what he promised.

    I do hope that Medicaid Expansion does become implemented here.
    So many people need access to healthcare in this state.
    A state so bereft of compassion for have-nots.

    jw1

    (Just a taste of the grift under Abbott’s control:
    http://lonestarproject.net/abbott-donors-raked-over-42-million-cprit#.VKLyC14Ag)

  3. See, poors? Obama’s plan didn’t help you, a whit, but the GOP WILL help you!

  4. pfft screw texas, use the money in states that opened up to healthcare, screw ALL them red states

  5. Avatar for dnl dnl says:

    It has taken awhile for the TeaPub . gov/handlers to figure out a way to divert

    the FedBucks into the TeaPub-elects’ ‘favorite charities’… which ‘self-deports’ to offshore bank accounts.

    …or so I’ve heard.

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