Castro, Green Urge CMS to Evaluate Harmful Texas Medicaid Cuts

Press Release

Congressmen Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Gene Green (TX-29) today sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting the agency evaluate impending harmful Medicaid cuts scheduled to go into effect in Texas. If state leaders do not act, an estimated 60,000 Texas children will lose access to medically necessary therapy services on October 1. Every Texas Democrat in Congress signed Castro and Green's letter calling on CMS to ensure that the cuts do not negatively affect vulnerable children and patients who rely on these critical services.

"Depriving Texas children of essential medical care is unacceptable," said Rep. Castro. "Texas Democrats in Congress could not sit idly by and watch the youngest patients in our state lose access to treatments they require. Families need their state leaders to step up and fix this looming problem before it's too late. Until that happens, it's up to the federal government to ensure our children receive the therapies their doctors have ordered."

"We are concerned that these cuts will reduce providers and access to care for thousands of Texans," said Rep. Green. "It is important that CMS review the methodology and rationale behind them so that cognitive and developmental treatments that may impact a child's well-being aren't cut."

Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to make $150 million worth of reductions in general revenue over the FY 2016-2017 state biennium to Medicaid acute care therapy services through a combination of rate reductions and policy changes. The first of the Medicaid rate reductions are scheduled to go into effect on October 1.

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