By: TAHP | Thursday, January 28, 2021

January 28, 2021

The COVID-19 crisis reminds us of the value of affordable health insurance coverage and the peace of mind it brings to Texans and their families. Medicaid managed care has played a key role in helping provide coverage during this economic and health care crisis. Texas Medicaid managed care plans cover medical expenses, coordinate complex medical care, and help Texans stay as healthy and active as possible—all while providing caring, compassionate one-on-one support. The focus on prevention, wellness, and care coordination—getting Texans the care they need to get healthy, stay healthy, and live in their communities—has translated into better care and lower costs. As a result, millions of Texans—including children and pregnant moms—have seen improved outcomes and Texas taxpayers have saved over $5 billion.

The COVID-19 crisis is highlighting the power of the public and private sectors working together to lower costs, improve efficiencies, and provide the high-quality health care that Texans deserve. Medicaid managed care plans are taking decisive actions to help Texans and curb the spread of the virus, including providing access for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, treatment, and vaccines, encouraging and expanding telehealth, and fully covering the doctor visits and treatments needed to recover from the virus.

Texas Medicaid managed care plans are committed to working together with state and local officials to ensure that Texans covered through Medicaid have access to the comprehensive coverage they need to get healthy and stay healthy during this crisis. We need to focus on proven, free-market solutions that improve what’s working and fix what’s not to maintain affordable, high-quality Medicaid coverage for the Texans that need it most.

Highlights of TAHP’s Medicaid Priorities:

• Maximizing the use of the Texas Medicaid managed care model to ensure Texas maintains an affordable and efficient Medicaid program that provides access to high-quality comprehensive coverage
• Increasing access to affordable health coverage for uninsured, hard-working Texans.
• Eliminating regulatory barriers and obstacles to telemedicine.
• Addressing social barriers as a part of Medicaid coverage.
• Promoting value in the Texas Medicaid program by continuing to use national recognized quality of care and efficiency measures to monitor health plan performance and ensuring that criteria to evaluate and select plans to serve the state’s most vulnerable populations be fair, objective, transparent, and appropriate to deliver on best value to the program.
• Achieving even more savings and improved outcomes by fully maximizing the use of the Medicaid managed care model and allowing Texas Medicaid managed care plans to manage and negotiate the state’s prescription drug formulary.

Read more about TAHP’s Medicaid priorities for the 87th Texas legislative session.
Learn more about how TAHP is advocating for an affordable high quality Medicaid managed care program.
Watch and get slides from TAHP’s Food for Thought on the Texas Medicaid program.

If you have any questions about Texas Medicaid managed care and TAHP’s Medicaid priorities for the session, please contact Laurie Vanhoose.