Good morning, 

Are some Texas Republicans planning on bringing Obamacare to Texas?

 Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Brandon Waltens 

Monday, April 12, 2021
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• Remember the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as “Obamacare”? It may be more than four years since Barack Obama left the Oval Office, but that hasn’t stopped Democrats from trying to build on his marquee program in Texas.
   
• And now, they’re getting help from Republicans...

• As Jeramy Kitchen reported last week, upon the passage of the Affordable Care Act, provisions existed calling for Medicaid expansion in every state. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in NFIB v. Sebelius that states could not be penalized for opting out of the expansion, and as a result, the state of Texas chose to maintain its previously existing Medicaid rules.

  In 2013, the Texas Legislature passed a bill that requires the Health & Human Services Commission to first receive approval by the Legislature before any Medicaid expansion decision is made.
   

• Since then, every legislative cycle has seen its share of proposed bills related to both Medicaid expansion and various “Texas solutions” to address the numbers of uninsured Texans. None have made it through the entirety of the legislative process.

• Both parties’ platforms have clear positions on the subject. The Texas Democrat Party platform states their support for “policies and programs that expand Medicaid coverage to improve healthcare access coverage in Texas.”
    
• Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Texas’ platform directly states “we oppose any further expansion of Medicaid.”

• Unsurprisingly, a number of Democrats have filed legislation this session that would expand Medicaid in Texas.  One bill in particular, by State Rep. Julie Johnson (R–Carrollton), appears to be gaining traction. 
   
• House Bill 3871  would create a program called “Live Well Texas.”  Ultimately, it expands Medicaid in Texas by allowing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to seek what is called a Section 1115 waiver and draw down money under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.”
   
• Notably, the bill currently has 69 total authors out of 150 House members, approaching a majority. That number is composed of 62 Democrat and seven Republican state representatives. Of the seven Republican authors, four of them are signed on as joint authors in State Reps. Lyle Larson (San Antonio), Steve Allison (San Antonio), Kyle Kacal (College Station), and Dan Huberty (Humble). The other three Republicans are State Reps. Ernest Bailes (Shepherd), Travis Clardy (Nacogdoches), and Stan Lambert (Abilene).
   
• While the bill has been referred to the House Human Services Committee, it has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
   
• Whether or not the bill is ultimately brought to the floor for a vote, lawmakers in the Texas House will likely be forced to go on the record in the coming weeks, when the chamber debate the budget. Democrats have long had a history of bringing budget amendments that would force the state to expand Medicaid.

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