The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the differences in access to healthcare in liberal states compared to conservative ones, with California and Texas serving as the best examples, according to the Los Angeles Times.
California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, has provided coverage for almost 4 million previously uninsured adults, causing the percentage of working adults who lack health insurance to drop from about 25% to about 10%, though the cost of premiums has risen. Texas, however, has blocked Medicaid expansion in the state, which has left over 750,000 low-income residents without healthcare coverage. Almost 30% of Texans said they had medical bills that were past-due in 2018, while only 14% of Californians said the same.
“We’re about 15 years behind California in terms of taking on costs in a meaningful way,” Tom Banning, head of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, told the newspaper.
Omni Family Health in California notes that the percentage of uninsured patients at their clinics dropped from 35% before the Affordable Care Act was passed to 9% two years ago. In Texas, a similar nonprofit, Legacy Community Health, reports that over a third of its patients lack health insurance, and that they are getting ready for an expected surge of as much as 40% because of the coronavirus and its effect on the oil industry.
“We try to manage diseases as best we can, but a lot of times we are racing against the clock,” Dr. Eli Newsome, a family physician who works at the clinic, said to the Times. “I put in a referral, but it doesn’t go anywhere.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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