AUSTIN (July 14, 2017) – The Texas Hospital Association released the following statement by Ted Shaw, THA president/ CEO, on the release of the revised Better Care Reconciliation Act.
“The Senate’s revisions to its original legislation could be significant for Texas. However, the Texas Hospital Association remains deeply concerned with the limits on federal Medicaid funding as they will force the state to make harmful policy choices related to enrollment, benefits and provider payment.
THA is exploring the details of the nearly 200-page bill. While some aspects appear more advantageous for Texas than were originally proposed, providing valuable insight on the potential impact to our hospitals and patients requires a diligent analysis. Too often over the last decade, public discourse around health care issues has been stunted by a rancorous information culture, and we look forward to providing the kind of thoughtful insight that congressional leaders can depend on to determine if they are making the right moves to improve health care for everyone.
We continue to urge our Senate and House leaders to examine the work Texas hospitals have done to improve the Medicaid program despite limited reimbursement. At the same time, we continue to highlight the importance of providing coverage solutions that will evolve as dynamics in Texas evolve.”
About the Texas Hospital Association
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents more than 85 percent of the state’s acute-care hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 365,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/texashospitals.