In response to the Dallas County commissioners’ endorsement of an expanded Medicaid program, Steve Love, the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council’s president/CEO, was quoted in The Dallas Morning News article “Commissioners OK expanding Medicaid” in the Wednesday, Feb. 13 edition.

In a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, Feb. 12, Dallas County commissioners voiced their support of expanded Medicaid that would cover uninsured low-income residents who otherwise must rely on charity care or county tax dollars to cover their medical costs.

According to the Sherry Jacobson and Selwyn Crawford article, Gov. Rick Perry’s administration estimated that Texas could leave $101.1 billion in federal Medicaid matching money on the table in the 10 years after expansion starts in January. To bring in that money, the state would have to put up $15.6 billion. The expansion would funnel an estimated $580 million to Dallas County to cover new Medicaid recipients in 2014. The money would lessen the burden on local health care providers now treating such uninsured patients, usually in their emergency rooms.

“I hear Governor Perry saying Medicaid is a system in need of reform, and I agree,” said County Judge Clay Jenkins. “Let’s find a way to craft a Texas plan that reflects the values of the state’s elected leadership and brings those much-needed dollars here.”

Love said hospitals support the expansion plan, particularly given the state’s high rate of uninsured. “Hopefully, we can address concerns, work collaboratively on solutions so we help deliver health care to some of the most vulnerable in our society,” he said.

To read the article, please go to http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20130212-dallas-county-commissioners-endorse-expanded-medicaid-program.ece.