Advocates: Time for lawmakers to act.
Hundreds of doctors, families of the poor and disabled, as well as Texas business owners marched on the State Capitol Tuesday demanding lawmakers expand Medicaid to include another 1.5 million poor people.
Governor Rick Perry insists he won't expand Medicaid unless Texas is exempted from federal regulations.
State Republicans argue the system is broken. However, Eileen Garcia at Texans Care for Children says it wouldn't be if lawmakers properly funded Medicaid.
"We have uninsured folks, and we have an opportunity to gain resources to get them insured," Garcia tells KTRH News. "It’s a win-win for our community in terms of taking care of an unmet need."
Advocates like Houston Pastor John Ogletree argue if the Legislature committed $15 billion over ten years, the state could earn $100 billion in matching federal funds.
"It is our tax dollars that Texans have already paid in, and will continue to pay in, that we're not taking advantage of," says Ogletree.
