Prominent Waco economist Ray Perryman is again publicly excoriating the state of Texas for not expanding Medicaid, arguing that the legislative inaction on the topic is costing Texas billions of dollars and thousands of new jobs.
“States such as Texas, which did not expand, are spending more state funds for Medicaid and getting less coverage and healthcare for residents than states that chose to expand,” he writes in a recent editorial. “Healthcare needs do not simply go away because individuals do not have insurance coverage. When people are uninsured and cannot pay their bills, it leads to higher private insurance premiums and local taxes.”
Just how much: Perryman says the total cumulative gross benefits to the state’s economy is about $270 billion. The study, initially published in 2012, estimated that every dollar spent equates to another $1.29 in gross dynamic revenue.
“In other words, participating in the expansion would not only improve access to healthcare, but would also more than pay for itself over time,” he writes.
