Tag Archives: health care

In advance of Thursday’s vote overhauling the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Representative Will Hurd released the following statement:

“We must remember, that regardless of its goals, Obamacare has not made healthcare more accessible or more affordable. It has led to expensive and confusing insurance coverage for American families while adding regulations at the expense of small businesses. I see this first hand as I travel the district and hear stories of premiums doubling overnight and outrageous deductibles forcing families to spend their entire savings just to get the care they need.

“And what keeps getting lost in media coverage is this: insurance is not healthcare.  Seven years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, there are still millions of Texans who cannot access or afford quality healthcare. ‘Rates of the insured’ are irrelevant if these same people cannot afford to receive treatment.

“Obamacare is collapsing, so maintaining the status quo is not an option. While crisscrossing my district all year and driving 1,600 miles across the country last week, I’ve heard loud-and-clear that while the  American Health Care Act (AHCA) will increase insurance options and competition, it must help those who were previously uninsurable, and strengthen protections for the aged and disabled on Medicaid.

“This is why I’ve been encouraging Leadership in the House of Representatives to make changes to the AHCA prior to our vote on Thursday. Congress needs to provide states the flexibility to address their most pressing issues. I’ve asked for Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states to be treated equally, and I’ve asked that doctors who take care of these vulnerable populations receive the support they need so that they do not opt-out of treating Medicaid patients all together, further restricting access to care.

“Even after Obamacare is repealed, work still needs to be done like extending and expanding programs like the 1115 Waiver. This is a tool used by States to expand Medicaid access for children, families, and those in rural areas.

“I’ve also told House Leadership I will continue to champion funding for Community Health Centers and increased reimbursements for rural providers, and I believe that any final plan must integrate these critical components. I look forward to reading the final bill and hope that these provisions, which are extremely important to my constituents, are included.”

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A former undercover CIA officer, entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert, Will Hurd is the U.S. Representative for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. In Washington, he serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as Vice Chair of the Maritime and Border Security Subcommittee on the Committee for Homeland Security, and as the Chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

State Senator José Rodríguez and SEIU Texas are co-hosting a health information fair and roundtable discussion on how to ensure health care access in El Paso in 2017 and beyond on Thursday, December 8.

The outcome of the presidential election raises new and significant uncertainties about national health care policy priorities. Ensuring access to affordable, quality health care is a top priority for El Paso’s delegation in the 2017 State Legislative Session.

This roundtable discussion will give El Pasoans a chance to learn more about the decisions facing health care advocates and leaders who are working to expand access to health care for all El Pasoans.

“As a result of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, more than 20 million Americans have gained health care coverage. If Obamacare is repealed, most if not all of these Americans stand to lose vital access to health care. In Texas, Obamacare has dropped our uninsured rate from 25 percent to 17 percent, but we still have the highest number (4.6 million) and percentage of uninsured residents of any state in the country.

In addition to insurance coverage, Texas has benefited from a federal waiver program that has brought $29 billion to support our health care safety net over the past five years. This waiver program is at a critical juncture. The Obama administration gave Texas an extension until December 2017, but it’s now uncertain what may happen next.

As we head into the next legislative session, we wanted to provide an opportunity for El Pasoans to discuss and learn about the pressing issues we’ll be facing both at the state and federal levels,“ said Rodríguez.

“As hospital workers on the front lines of patient care, we’re committed to making sure all El Pasoans have access to high quality care that is affordable,” said Rosa Martinez, a Certified Nursing Assistant at University Medical Center of El Paso and a member of SEIU Texas. “SEIU members are proud to be advocating for solutions that ensure that all El Pasoans have access to high quality care.”

The Roundtable Discussion will include State Sen. José Rodríguez, UMC El Paso CEO Jacob Cintron, and SEIU National Healthcare Leader Kirk Adams. County Judge Veronica Escobar will serve as moderator.

•       What: El Paso Health Information Fair & Roundtable Discussion: Ensuring Health Care Access in 2017 and Beyond

•       When: 4 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday Dec. 8, 2016

–          Health Information Fair from 4 to 6 p.m.

–          Roundtable Discussion from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

•       Where: La Fe Culture and Technology Center, 721 South Ochoa, Rear Building