Update on TX state budget for women's health care

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----- Original Message ----- From: Texas Campaign for Women's Health

Action Alert

Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 4:26 PM

Subject: Update on state budget for women's health care

Texas Campaign for Women's Health Update***********Please forward WIDELY*****************In this message:1) Update on Department of Health and Health and Human Services Commission hearings before Senate and House committees2) What you can do now! And what you need to know.3) Contact information for key committee members with power to influence family planning funding4) Report from Brownsville Herald on how health care cuts will affect the border region********************Dear Advocates,Last week we learned more about the dismal state of the state¹s budget for women¹s health care services. The Department of Health and the Health and Human Services Commission presented their "zero-based" budgets to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services, and the Senate Finance Committee.Here are some of the lowlights:… Funding for family planning services through the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health block grant, Title XX Social Services block grant and TANF is still in jeopardy of being reduced or redirected to providers who do not prioritize women¹s health care services, and who may not provide full family planning services.… Reduced eligibility for prenatal care for pregnant women to 133 % of the federal poverty level. This will disqualify thousands of women from accessing prenatal care, as well as postpartum care and family planning counseling and services.… A 33% reduction in provider reimbursement rates‹a disincentive for doctors to provide care to Medicaid patients.*************************

2) What you can do right now! Tell your legislator and members of important committees that you support funding for family planning and women¹s health care. The bills are moving fast--so contact them today!Funding for family planning appears in two places in the appropriations bill:1) The Family Planning line item in the Health Department budget includes several sources of funding for family planning services:o Title XX Social Services Block Grant and TANF funds together form the largest block which the legislature has the power to reduce, increase or redirect.o Title X Family Planning grant and Title XIX Medicaid are federal pass throughs which the legislature can not redirect.2) The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant is federal money that can be used for family planning services, but can also be redirected by the legislature to pay for other services.Advocates of family planning funding may urge legislators to preserve (or increase!) funding for family planning through Title XX, TANF and Title V.Legislators need to hear again about the importance of family planning services as a the single source of comprehensive primary care for hundreds of thousands of women. Without this preventive and diagnostic care, the state will face:o an increase in untreated sexually transmitted infections and diseaseso an increase in breast and cervical cancer diagnosed far too lateo an increase in unintended pregnancieso an increase in Medicaid-paid birthso more infants with health problems and parents without access or the means to care for themLegislators need to hear once again the importance of funding for women¹s health care through family planning clinics‹professional health care providers with a mandate to serve women and provide comprehensive reproductive health care.Why support funding for family planning services?Family planning clinics are the only source of health care for many uninsured and low-income women. Nationwide, over 80% of women receiving care at family planning clinics have no other source of medical care.It costs less than $150 a year per woman to provide the full scope of care, and saves women and the state thousands by averting the costs of unplanned pregnancies, illness and other conditions. Family planning services have been shown to save the state more than $3.30 for every $1 spent in the first year costs alone in Medicaid prenatal, delivery and newborn care for the first year costs. A typical family planning visit includes:o A physical examination;o contraceptive methods counseling;o risk reduction education; and,o screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, diabetes, hypertension, anemia, kidney infection/disease, sexually transmitted diseases and other conditions. The network of family planning clinics around the state is the single largest mechanism for screening women for breast and cervical cancer and diabetes, as well as the others for which screening is available.In 1999 there were approximately 400 family planning clinics in Texas, which served more than 450,000 women. In that year, more than 1.2 million additional women qualified for and needed family planning services that they could not access. Now, only approximately 300 state-funded clinics exist to serve these women.

3) Key Committees with Power over Family Planning FundingHouse Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services:Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth (R-Burleson), Chair HHS SubcommitteeDistrict 58 includes Bosque and countiesCapitol Office: EXT E1.420(512) 463-0538 Fax: (512) 463-5896 Rep. Vicki Truitt (R-Keller)District 98 includes part of Tarrant CountyCapitol Office: EXT E2.508(512) 463-0690 Fax: (512) 477-5770Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D- Austin)District 48 includes part of CountyCapitol Office: EXT E2.808 (512) 463-0506 Fax: (512) 463-5896 Rep. (R-Houston)District 129 includes part of CountyCapitol Office: EXT E2.610(512) 463-0734 Fax: (512) 463-5896Craig Eiland (D-Galveston)District 23 includes Chambers County and part of Galveston CountyCapitol Office: EXT E2.204(512) 463-0502 Fax: (512) 463-5896 Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp (R-Lampasas)District 43 includes Burnet and Lampasas counties and part of Bell CountyCapitol Office: EXT E1.414(512) 463-0684 Fax: (512) 463-5896Rep. Vilma Luna (D-Corpus Christi)Vice-Chair of Appropriations CommitteeCapitol Office: EXT E1.304(512) 463-0484 Fax: (512) 463-0904 Other House Appropriations Committee membersChair: Rep. Talmadge Heflin (R-Houston, Houston)Rep. (R-Houston)Rep. Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont)Rep. Dan Ellis (D-Livingston) Rep. o Gutierrez (D-Mc)Rep. Peggy Hamric (R-Houston)Rep. Hope (R-Conroe) Rep. Carl Isett (R-Lubbock) Rep. Ames (R-San )Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)Rep. Ruth McClendon (D-San )Rep. Menendez (D-San )Rep. ph Pickett (D- El Paso) Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie)Rep. (D-Laredo)Rep. Jim Solis (D-Harlingen)Rep. Jack Stick (R-Austin)Rep. Sylvester (D-Houston)Senate Finance CommitteeSenator Teel Bivins, Chair (R-Amarillo)Capitol Office Room 1E.5(512) 463-0131Senator Judith Zaffirini, Vice Chair(D-Laredo)Capitol Office Room 1E.12(512) 463-0121 Senator Kip Averitt (R-Waco)Capitol Office Room EXT. 1.608(512) 463-0122 Fax: (512) 475-3729 Senator Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin)Capitol Office Room 3S.18(512) 463-0114 Fax: (512) 463-5949 Senator Kim Brimer (R-FortWorth)Capitol Office Room EXT 1.712(512) 463-0110 Senator Duncan (R-Lubbock)Capitol Office Room 3E.12(512) 463-0128Senator Janek (R-Houston)Capitol Office Room3E.16(512) 463-0117 Senator Jane (R-Flower Mound)Capitol Office Room 1E.3(512) 463-0112 Fax: (512) 463-0923 Senator Steve Ogden (R-)Capitol Office Room 3S.3(512) 463-0105Senator Florence Shapiro (R-Plano)Capitol Office Room 3E.2Phone (512) 463-0108 Fax: (512) 463-7579 Senator Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso)Capitol Office Room EXT 1.706(512) 463-0129Senator Todd Staples (R-Palestine)Capitol Office Room EXT 1.708(512) 463-0103Senator Royce West (D-Dallas)Capitol Office Room 3E.10(512) 463-0123 Senator Whitmire (D-Houston)Capitol Office Room 1E.13(512) 463-0115 Senator Tommy (R-The Woodlands)Capitol Office Room GE.7(512) 463-0104 Fax: (512) 463-6373*******************************Article:

Physicians: Health care cuts will devastate border By STEVE TAYLORThe Brownsville HeraldAUSTIN ‹ A border health group representing 10,000 Texas physicians predicts a dramatic destabilization of health care infrastructure along the border if proposed Medicaid cuts are implemented.The Border Health Caucus claims a budget plan unveiled last week by Health and Human Services Commissioner Albert Hawkins will "gut the already dwindling Medicaid physician network" along the Texas-Mexico border.The plan eliminates $4 billion from medical care and slashes reimbursement rates for health providers by 33 percent.The group¹s criticism came as Democratic lawmakers blamed Gov. Rick for "lack of leadership" over Hawkins¹ proposals. "They¹re the cuts," said state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, at a press conference Monday at the Capitol.Hawkins admitted last week that without extra funding his plan would result in 250,000 children losing their Children¹s Health Insurance Program insurance coverage. It would also result in 69,000 adults losing Medicaid coverage, and 500,000 elderly and disabled adults losing their prescription drug coverage."Border physicians are very disturbed by recommendations to eliminate coverage for thousands of Texans," wrote BHC Chairman Dionicio "Manny" Alvarez, MD, in a letter sent Monday to Senate Finance Committee Chair Teel Bivins."Border Texans rely more heavily on publicly financed health care than other Texans. The highest uninsured rates in the state are along the Upper Rio Grande Valley and in South Texas," said Alvarez, who is also a nephrology specialist in El Paso.In its statement, the BHC praised the work of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the Senate Hispanic Research Council for "shining light on the disproportionate and drastic effect" the cuts would have on the poor, elderly, and disabled that live along the Texas-Mexico border."Without Medicaid or CHIP coverage, more border Texans will turn to emergency rooms for their medical care," said Dr. Campos, a Mc family practitioner and vice-chairman of the BHC."They will be sicker when they seek health care, and emergency room care is far more costly than care provided in a physician¹s office. The burden for paying for this more costly care will fall to local governments along the border and in South Texas, while leaving a stack of federal funds behind in Washington. Businesses will close and these same health care problems will extend to other parts of Texas."Campos said another Hawkins¹ proposal, to cut Medicaid reimbursement rates by 33 percent, would "absolutely gut the already dwindling Medicaid physician network."Campos said it was "no exaggeration to state that such cuts would dramatically destabilize the health care infrastructure in border counties."Campos said that for Texas to "fortify the border delivery system," the state had to recruit and retain a strong Medicaid and CHIP physician base in South Texas, not cut it.The BHC represents approximately 10,000 Texas physicians in county medical societies from El Paso to Brownsville, and including San and Corpus Christi.Responding to criticism from Democrats that the governor¹s "zero-based budget" meant "zero leadership" over which state programs deserved priority status, spokesman Gene Acuña said it was still far too early to talk about which services would be cut."What have been laid out are options; no decisions have been made," Acuña said."It¹s the same process and challenge that Texas families and businesses face on a regular basis: define your priorities, distinguish between wants and needs and live within available revenue. The governor is confident that as the Legislature moves through this budgeting process, legislators will exercise sound judgment between wants and needs."State Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee panel dealing with the Health and Human Services budget, said Democrats were playing partisan politics."I think it is unfortunate that some Democratic members of the House have chosen to go on the attack at this point," said Wohlgemuth, R-Burleson."While I respect their right to speak freely, it¹s way too early in the appropriations process to be reaching conclusions. Interjecting partisan politics into the mix at this point is counterproductive to reaching a resolution that meets the needs of our neediest Texans."At their press conference, House and Senate Democrats said they would draw a line in the sand when it came to cutting services for children, the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled."A society that values cuts over kids is a society that does not invest in hope for the future," said State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso. "We will fight to put these kids back into a healthy future. We will not balance this budget on the backs of Texas children." State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, warned that cuts in Medicaid and CHIP directly impact funding for medical schools and health science centers. He said that if was claiming Hawkins¹ proposal was a preliminary budget, Democrats were issuing a preliminary response. "The most vulnerable are off limits," Ellis said."These cuts are egregious, they are unreasonable and we have them because of the parameters laid out by the leadership," said state Rep. Garnet , D-Houston. "If you¹re the one setting the parameters, then you have to take the credit, or the blame, for what is being laid out by these committees."Although every Valley legislator has pledged to fight cuts in Medicaid and CHIP programs, only one member of the delegation, state Rep. Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, was at the press conference.********************Lesley RamseyProject DirectorTexas Campaign for Women's Health905-A W. OltorfAustin, Texas 78704(512) 448-4857(512) 448-3373 fax