As lawmakers in Washington continue to negotiate a budget bill, residents in the Rio Grande Valley and across Texas are closely following discussions about the future of Medicaid.
It’s nice to see that President Trump and Republicans are making change and have “the Swamp” moving at full speed, compared to its usual snail’s pace.
However, it’s important that the reforms and disruptions focus on true government waste and inefficiencies and not put core programs for the American people at risk. Our leaders need to slow down and carefully consider the impact that big cuts to Medicaid would have in Texas and around the country.
About 80 million Americans are insured by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), making it our nation’s single largest insurer. More than 4.25 million Texans — nearly one in five adults — rely on the program for their healthcare coverage. These are generally individuals and families who cannot afford private coverage or live in areas with few other options. Think seniors living on fixed incomes, veterans, low-income earners, and people with disabilities. About one in seven rural Texans are insured by Medicaid.
Here in the Rio Grande Valley, nearly a quarter of families live below the federal poverty line. For these hard-working families, Medicaid is a lifeline. Without it, many would likely be uninsured. That would hurt their health outcomes, leave them vulnerable to potentially catastrophic out-of-pocket costs in an emergency, and weaken our entire state by putting even heavier burdens on our local hospitals and Lone Star taxpayers.
When individuals and families have reliable health coverage, their communities reap the benefits. People with insurance are more likely to seek routine and preventative care. Medicaid enrollees are four to five times more likely to have a regular source of care than people who are uninsured. They are more likely to receive early diagnoses for serious diseases and more likely to get and stay on prescription drug treatments, which can be life-saving.
When our residents are healthy, our communities are healthy — not just physically, but economically, too. Worker sicknesses and injuries cost employers more than $225 billion each year. There’s no getting around some illnesses; people will always get the flu or twist an ankle. But chronic disease alone, which is often preventable or better managed with proper care, drains more than $36 billion from small businesses and other employers each year.
These are already very real issues in the Rio Grande Valley. As one recent report noted, our region struggles with “some of the highest rates of chronic disease,” including cancers and obesity. According to the Rio Grande Regional Hospital, approximately 76,000 members of our community suffer from diabetes. For many of these families — and many others — Medicaid is essential to ensure they can access timely, high-quality care.
President Trump has long fought for the interests of everyday, blue-collar men, women and families. Kitchen table, pocketbook issues were a huge part of President Trump’s 2024 mandate, and he knows healthcare coverage is a huge part of that. That’s why President Trump has repeatedly pledged his administration will not cut away at core programs like Medicare or Medicaid. Instead, the President has promised he “will always protect” Medicaid.
Fortunately, our leaders in Congress appear like-minded. In a recent letter to House leaders, Congressman Tony Gonzales warned: “Slashing Medicaid would have serious consequences, particularly in rural and predominantly Hispanic communities where hospitals and nursing homes are already struggling to keep their doors open.”
President Trump, Rep. Gonzales and their Republican colleagues are right to be focused on eliminating waste and abuse. One analysis found that more than $31 billion of improper payments went out the door last year, weakening Medicaid for the families that need it. But there is an enormous difference between rooting out fraud and making wholesale cuts or sweeping “reforms” that impact benefits. Most Medicaid enrollees are hard-working members of our communities. In Texas, nearly 60% of participants are employed. About 80% are people of color.
Millions of Texans stand with President Trump — and with Medicaid. A recent poll found that more than 70% of conservative voters believe it would be “unacceptable” for Congress to cut Medicaid. In another survey, a remarkable 95 percent of Trump supporters said Medicaid is important.
Rep. Gonzales put it well when he said recently that we cannot “pull the rug out” from the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid. I encourage him and our entire Congressional delegation to continue to lead alongside President Trump and oppose any Medicaid changes that would jeopardize the benefits and coverage that our communities depend on.
Editor's Note: The above guest column was penned by Daniel Silva, president and CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The column appears in the Rio Grande Guardian with the permission of the author. Silva can be reached by email via: daniel@rgvpartnership.com.
