For five years in a row, Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country, according to a March report from Gallup. Although Governor Rick Perry is adamant Texas will not make Medicaid available to more Texans by taking part in a federal program, many hope he will compromise.
About 6 million of Texas' 25.5 million populations are uninsured, Based on Census Bureau estimates from March 2012. Here's a look at how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) would impact the uninsured.
Steve Levine of the Texas Medical Association also has a nice breakdown in numbers of people instead of percentages:
- 2.4 million would be eligible to buy subsidized health insurance.
- 1.4 million earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level and would be covered by Medicaid if Texas chose to expand the program as described in the PPACA.
- 851,000 are undocumented immigrants.
- 790,000 are currently eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled in the program.
608,000 are not eligible for any government health care assistance.
*Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek.
