The New York Times reports that some Texas lawmakers favor pulling out of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to reduce the state’s $25 billion budget shortfall. The Heritage Foundation estimates that this could result in a savings of $60 billion between 2013 to 2019.
Others are taking a more cautious approach, willing to consider the opt-out only if it can be shown to make fiscal sense without jeopardizing care. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which runs the programs on behalf of 3.6 million enrollees, will release its own study later in the year.
