WalletHub is the latest national group to highlight the struggles Texans face when it comes to access and affordability of healthcare. In its “Best & Worst States for Healthcare” for 2017, the national financial website ranks Texas 41st in the U.S. for overall healthcare. Again, Texas ranks rock bottom when it comes to access to health services and 44th when it comes to cost of healthcare.
“Even after the gains seen as a result of the Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million Texans between the ages of 19 and 64 remain uninsured,” says Elena Marks, EHF’s president and CEO. “There are opportunities to expand access to care for Texans by being creative and getting state and federal policy support to develop unique systems to cover more people. If we don’t take the next steps and strengthen enrollment strategies and policies, then millions of Texans will remain uninsured and the entire state will continue to pay the price.”
EHF and its research team will continue to lead our nationally-recognized research efforts regarding the need to increase health insurance coverage in our state and advocate for strong policy that calls for that coverage.
EHF will also continue to support grant partners that help low-income and vulnerable populations gain access to care through insurance and other health-related programs including those offered by federal, state, and local governments.
