Half of the 1.5 million Texas Children without health insurance are eligible for CHIP or Children's Medicaid - but are not enrolled.

You can help spread the word in your community by displaying a "CHIP l Children's Medicaid" poster with brochures in your place of worship or community center. Texas Impact is happy to mail you a free small Children's Health Kit with a display and brochures. You can also order free supplies in bulk from the Health and Human Services Commission Online.

Call Texas Impact: 512.472.3903

Or visit the HHSC's CHIP l Children's Medicaid Website

Monday morning eight state legislators and sixteen state organizations held a press conference to illustrate the importance of making health coverage a priority this session. Texas Hospital Association released their brand new polling data finding that 43 percent of registered voters identified “making health insurance more affordable and accessible” as the most important issue for the Legislature to address, ranking it first place above improving public education and creating jobs.  Click Here to read the press release.

Thanks to All Who Participated in Health Lobby Day   

Lobby Day material are now posted online → Click Here

The Center for Public Policy Priorities is announcing a new project: Texas Voice for Health Reform. Made possible by generous funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the project aims to inform and mobilize Texans on the national health care reform debate. This is an important moment in U.S. policy-making with a new administration that already pledged its commitment to solving the American health care crisis.As a resource and a catalyst for this work, CPPP will help Texans call for sound proposals to solve our nation’s health care coverage crisis.

Health Justice—or Just Money?

State Health Spending, the Insurance Market and the Economic Stimulus Package

A Public Policy Forum for the Faith Community at First United Methodist Church Austin

Speakers include State Representative Mark Strama; Dr. Monya Stubbs, Asst. Professor of New Testament at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Jared Wolfe, Executive Director of the Texas Association of Health Plans; and Bee Moorhead, Executive Director of Texas Impact.

On Tuesday, February 17th President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Incentive. The bill passed the Senate on February 10th by a vote of 61 - 37.  Texas Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison were among those voting against the measure. The Senate bill - at an estimated cost of $838 billion - is slightly larger than the $819 billion bill that came out of the House of Representatives, and the two bills were reconciled in the conference committee to the final amount of $789 billion. 

Click Here to see what this means for health care in Texas. 

RSVP for Health Lobby Day at the Capitol

The Cover Texas Now Health Lobby Day is free of charge.   Submit the form below to let us know you are coming.

Lobby Visits: Cover Texas Now organizers will make group appointments with key legislators. Lobby day participants should also make appointments with their own senators and representatives. Need help? Click Here or Call 512.472.3903 for assistance with making appointments or finding out who represents you.

Thank you Congress and President Obama!

On Wednesday, February 4, President Obama signed into law H R 2, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. The Act reauthorizes the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2013 and expands the program to include more children.

The bill, which had been twice vetoed by former President Bush, passed both the House and Senate in the past month. After differences were resolved in conference the bill returned to the House this afternoon and passed by a vote of 290 to 135.

The bill is expected to increase the number of children covered by SCHIP to 11 million from the 7.4 million currently enrolled.The expansion is funded with an increase in the federal tobacco tax.

To read more Click Here.

The Sunset Advisory Commission met Wednesday, September 24, to make recommendations on Sunset issues for the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC). The Commission considered the Sunset staff recommendations (released in May), the public testimony on those recommendations in June, and public comments.

Health care reforms in the past three sessions have primarily focused on public programs like CHIP and Medicaid. The decennial Sunset Review of TDI offers a unique opportunity for lawmakers to focus on health insurance reforms in the private market. (Click here the most recent Texas uninsured statistics) Cover Texas Now is disappointed that the Sunset Commission punted its current opportunity to strengthen the health insurance market. However, it is clear that the preliminary discussion around the sunset review process has elevated health insurance issues to be addressed in the House and Senate in the 81^st Session.

The popular PBS Series, Point of View, is releasing their much anticipated documentary on the national healthcare crisis tonight (September 30) at 8:00pm central time. Focused on the personal stories of four American families, "Critical Condition" is a non-partisan look at America's broken health care system and the impact it is having on American lives, businesses, and the ailing economy.

With Texas having the worst uninsured problem in the nation for twenty consecutive years, it comes as no surprise that one of the families showcased in the documentary is a Texas family.

While the national debate over health care continues in Washington, more people must chose to or are forced to go without health insurance and the increasing cost of this broken system presents a serious threat to the stability of the U.S. Economy.

As the Texas Legislature begins it's 81st Session this January, Texas has a unique opportunity to speed up the solution process by making sure their legislators are talking about the health care crisis and the impact it is having on Texans.

HOST A SCREENING of "Critical Condition" at your church, synagogue, or temple.

More information on the Texas health care crisis and how you can participate in the solution.