TEXAS – State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, announced a proposed state-administered health insurance program intended to cover more than 5 million uninsured Texans.
Goodwin, a four-term representative for Texas House District 47, unveiled the Texas Cares Plan at a pediatric clinic in Houston. The announcement launched a weeklong health care tour featuring a campaign RV displaying information about the proposal.
The campaign described Texas Cares as a self-sustaining program that would cover vision, dental, emergency, preventive, maternity and mental health care. Coverage would be available to Texans regardless of pre-existing conditions.
The plan would include three tiers of coverage. The first would rely on Medicaid expansion, with the federal government covering 90% of health care expenses and the state paying the remaining 10% and administrative costs.
Goodwin proposed using a one-time investment from the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund, to establish the program. The fund currently holds more than $25 billion, according to the campaign.
Texas Cares would also provide an alternative for workers and small and midsize employers facing rising costs for employer-sponsored insurance. Goodwin said stable premiums and increasing enrollment would allow the program to become increasingly self-sustaining.
The proposal also seeks to address barriers to medical care, provider shortages and a lack of transparency for patients and providers. Goodwin said the program would emphasize preventive care and annual medical examinations to reduce emergency room visits.
Dr. Letitia Plummer, a former Houston City Council member and the Democratic nominee for Harris County judge, joined Goodwin at the announcement and endorsed the proposal.
“As a dentist, I’ve seen too many Texans forced to choose between getting the care they need and paying the bills they have,” Plummer said.
State Rep. Christina Morales and Texas House District 138 candidate Tyler Smith also spoke in support of the proposal.
Texas has the largest number of uninsured residents in the country, and one in four uninsured children in the United States lives in Texas, according to the campaign. Cover Texas Now estimates that the state’s decision not to expand Medicaid has resulted in approximately $10 billion in forgone federal funding annually.
