The need for reliable access to health care services has never been more salient. There are more uninsured residents in Texas than any other state in the nation. It’s time we fix this.
The Texas Hospital Association helped drive a key form of coverage expansion across the finish line in the 2023 regular session of the Texas Legislature. House Bill 12 – pending submission and federal approval of the state’s plan to implement it – will extend Medicaid coverage for new mothers to one year postpartum, instead of the current two months. This coverage expansion will significantly improve the lives and health of Texas moms and babies, ensuring better access to care and health outcomes. Medicaid enrollees deliver about half the babies in Texas, and according to data from the state’s Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee, more than a quarter of maternal deaths in our state occur between 43 days and one year after pregnancy.
While HB 12 will make a sizable difference, THA and its member hospitals remain committed to finding more avenues to increase access to comprehensive health care coverage for every Texan who needs it. Health care coverage will help Texans maintain and ultimately improve their baseline health, ensure a productive workforce and reduce health care costs. THA continues to educate lawmakers on the need for a health care coverage solution and offers resources to support member hospitals’ advocacy as well.
Digital Toolkit
Use THA’s digital messages with the hashtag #CoverTexans to promote health care coverage expansion on your social networks.
Social Media Messages
Click here to access a Sample Social Media Toolkit with social posts and images.
Click to download these messages / Spanish version
Studies and Reports
Learn how the state can achieve a coverage solution from these industry expert reports.
- Medicaid Expansion Improves Financial Performance of Hospitals, Other Providers (1/18/23) | Kaiser Family Foundation
- Medicaid Expansion Led To Reductions In Postpartum Hospitalizations (1/9/23) | Health Affairs
- 2022 Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee/Texas DSHS Joint Biennial Report (12/22)
- 3.7 Million People Would Gain Health Coverage in 2023 If the Remaining 12 States Were to Expand Medicaid Eligibility (7/22) | The Urban Institute/The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Economic and Employment Effects of Medicaid Expansion Under the American Rescue Plan (5/20/21) | The Commonwealth Fund
- Medicaid Expansion is Associated With Lower Maternal Mortality (1/23/21) | Women’s Health Issues Journal
- Medicaid Expansion: Effects on Hospital Finances and Implications for Hospitals Facing COVID-19 Challenges (1/5/21) | Health Affairs
- Medicaid Expansion’s Effect on Hospital Finances: 5 Takeaways (1/6/21) | Becker’s Hospital Review
THA White Papers & Reports
Articulating industry data and perspective on behalf of hundreds of hospitals across Texas.