Do you know how many local jobs would be created in your county if Texas closed the health care Coverage Gap? It’s easy to find out with our new fact sheets for every county in Texas.
With the support of Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, we’ve created customized fact sheets that outline the economic and health benefits for county residents if Texas accepts federal funds to expand health care coverage.
In Harris County, for example, expanded health care coverage would create 60,000 new jobs per year and pump up to $935 million into the county economy. Data come from recent estimates by respected Texas and national experts, including the U.S. Census, economist Dr. Ray Perryman and former Texas Deputy Comptroller Billy Hamilton.
Using the same data sources as the fact sheets, our online Health & Wealth County Checkup tool allows you to compare benefits across counties.
Just as several other conservative states have developed a plan to expand coverage and close the Coverage Gap, Texas leaders should, too. A growing number of business leaders, health care leaders, and other Texans are educating them about the benefits for uninsured workers, their families, and the economy. These new fact sheets provide important data in making the case for coverage expansion. Our state leaders should accept our share of the billions of dollars in federal health care funds to connect uninsured workers and parents with an affordable insurance option.
One million uninsured U.S. citizen adults in Texas stuck in the Coverage Gap are waiting for Texas leaders to act. A strong, diverse coalition including business groups, chambers of commerce, and county judges is calling for a Texas approach to expanding health care coverage to more Texans. These county fact sheets can help demonstrate the economic and health benefits such an expansion would bring, and we encourage concerned Texans to share these with their county leaders and state officials.
