Center for Public Policy Priorities News

CPPP Sends Letter to Congress Urging Passage of Health Care Reform

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-03-19T12:50:35-06:00

CPPP sent a letter today to the Texas Congressional Delegation urging passage of the health care reform bill. The letter included the real-life health care-related struggles of Sarah, Mario, Andrea, Bruce and Cher, showing how the bill Congress is currently considering will improve their lives and the lives of other Texans just like them.

What Do 5 Percent Budget Cuts Look Like?

Eva DeLuna Castro,Anne Dunkelberg,Celia Hagert,Don Baylor,Jane Burstain — 2010-03-12T09:39:12-06:00

Concerned that there won't be enough revenue to fund state services in 2012-13 and cover a $9-billion-plus school finance budget "hole" created in 2006, top state officials have instructed Texas agencies to propose ways to reduce General Revenue (GR) spending by 5 percent in their 2010-2011 budgets. If these cuts can actually be implemented, the need to use the state's $9.6 billion "Rainy Day Fund" would be reduced, as would the need to find other sources of ongoing revenue.

This Policy Page analyzes some of the proposed cuts in health and human services, workforce and economic development, and higher education. The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) recommends a balanced approach that uses the Rainy Day Fund and new sources of state revenue--not just budget cuts alone--to balance the state budget without needless human suffering.

Implementing the Permanent Care Assistance Program

Jane Burstain — 2010-03-11T11:07:16-06:00

The new permanency care assistance program, which pays relatives who take permanent custody of a child in state care, is well intended. But due to federal and practical constraints, implementation may not go as planned. That is why the 2017 sunset provision is important. It allows sufficient time for the program to get up and running but provides an important "out" if the program does not achieve its intended goals.

CPPP senior policy analyst Jane Burstain delivered this testimony on the permanency care assistance program to the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Federal legislation to ban taxation of online hotel reservations could cost Texas $65 million a year

Dick Lavine — 2010-03-01T10:22:14-06:00

For the past two years, online booking companies such as Expedia and Priceline have sought federal legislation to sharply restrict the authority of state and local governments to apply their general sales and hotel occupancy taxes to hotel rooms booked by these companies. They are now attempting to add this provision as an amendment to upcoming federal job-creation bills.

Such legislation could effectively prohibit taxation of the entire retail charge for hotel rooms that online companies book. This could permanently reduce Texas state and local revenue by some $65 million per year, at a time when the national recession is forcing reductions in public services needed by families struggling to stay afloat.

Our federal lawmakers shouldn't let online booking companies shortchange state and local governments by dodging part of their tax burden!

Census Jobs in Texas

Frances Deviney,Laura Tibbitt — 2010-02-26T09:30:30-06:00

The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring thousands of workers in Texas to help conduct the 2010 Census. More than 84,000 jobs will be created throughout the state during peak operations. This policy point tells you more. An accurate Census count has direct implications for every Texan. Many government funding decisions for services such as schools, housing, job training, roads, health care, and social services rely on Census data. Many communities are historically undercounted. Census workers can help ensure an accurate count for the 2010 Census.

How Health Reform Will Help Our Economy

Stacey Pogue — 2010-02-25T15:14:42-06:00

Passing health reform isn't just the right thing to do because it will cover many of the uninsured; it will also create tremendous economic benefits for Texas families and small businesses. Health reform makes health insurance coverage more secure, 1) reducing bankruptcies caused by medical bills, 2) allowing entrepreneurs to start new ventures without fear that leaving a current job will mean losing health coverage, and 3) letting small firms operate without providing health benefits while ensuring that their employees still have access to high-quality affordable coverage. Health reform also slows the growth in health care costs, 1) reducing the federal deficit, 2) shoring up Medicare, and 3) allowing employers to increase wages, hire new employees or make other investments in their business with money that would otherwise be eaten up by skyrocketing health insurance premiums. This Policy Page examines the many economic benefits of health reform. For an overview of provisions in the Senate health reform bill, see at the recent CPPP publication What's in the Health Reform Bills?

The State of Texas and Bexar County Children: PowerPoint Presentation

Frances Deviney — 2010-02-24T17:33:45-06:00

Did you miss the release of The State of Texas Children 2009-10 data book in San Antonio on February 12, 2010? Want some great state and Bexar County graphics for a presentation or report? Download our PowerPoint presentation to learn more about child poverty, hunger, health care, and state and federal funding that supports the children who are in greatest need.

Count Every Child So That Every Child Counts

Frances Deviney — 2010-02-24T17:37:00-06:00

Once every ten years, every man, woman, and child in America is counted. Families with young children are the most at risk of being undercounted in the Census because these families either don't understand the importance of the Census or fear what can happen if they do complete it. This can result in the state getting less funding and resources for vital service programs in the communities such as yours. To learn more, click here to view and listen to our webinar.

Texas & National Health Reform Who Will Gain Coverage; Issues for Texans and State Government

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-02-22T09:59:41-06:00

CPPP Associate Director Anne Dunkelberg made this presentation, "Texas & National Health Reform: Who Will Gain Coverage? Issues for Texans and State Government," at the Texas Hospital Association's 2010 Leadership Conference on February 17, 2010. The panel, "The Trickle-down Effect: How Health Care Reform will Impact the Texas Budget," included State Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), and Tom Suehs, executive commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin.

A One-Year Anniversary Report on ARRA and Jobs

Don Baylor — 2010-02-16T13:35:59-06:00

On the one year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this policy page provides an overview of the impact of ARRA on employment in Texas and makes recommendations as Congress considers proposals to protect existing jobs and create more jobs.

Texas Revenues, Medicaid & National Health Reform

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-02-16T18:12:16-06:00

CPPP Associate Director Anne Dunkelberg made this presentation to a meeting of the Texas Medical Association's Select Committee on Medicaid, CHIP and the uninsured. The committee includes primary care and subspecialty physicians from across the state and is charged with developing TMA's regulatory and legislative policy relating to indigent health care, Medicaid, and CHIP.

The State of Texas Children 2009-10

CPPP — 2010-02-15T13:08:15-06:00

On February 12, the Center for Public Policy Priorities released The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book 2009-2010, a resource that offers an updated look at the well-being of children in Texas, as well as complete online data snapshots for every county in Texas. This year's data book chronicles how decades of state fiscal belt-tightening have squeezed off investment in child well-being in Texas, noting that even though federal stimulus dollars filled the gaps in the 2010-2011 state budget, resulting in a slight increase in state spending on services to children, Texas still ranks among the 10 states with the highest rate of child poverty in the nation, as it has for every year since 2000. Furthermore, the most current data available does not yet reflect the effects of the economic recession which hit Texas children and families much later than the rest of the country.

What's in the Health Reform Bills?

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-02-15T13:48:46-06:00

The Kaiser Family Foundation released mid-January poll results that found Americans squarely divided on national health reform proposals--at least at first glance. The poll went on to show that large proportions of Americans are unaware of the major provisions of heath reform bills, and their support increases dramatically when told about provisions like tax credits to help small businesses cover their employees, health insurance exchanges where coverage options can be compared; closing the Medicare drug benefit "doughnut hole," and eliminating denials and rate hikes because of pre-existing conditions.

The sometimes raucous debate over hot-button issues (and outright untruths) of the last 6 months has worked against Americans getting a clear picture of the framework of health reform. This Policy Page provides a high-level outline of the key insurance coverage elements of the Senate bill, noting areas in which compromises with the House are likely.

Proposed Budget Reductions for 2010-2011 Biennium

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-02-11T14:02:53-06:00

CPPP appreciates the evident efforts of agency officials to mitigate harm to clients in proposing these options. We will advocate with our elected officials for Medicaid and CHIP reimbursement cuts to be avoided. CPPP will support use of the Rainy Day Fund and pursuit of new revenue sources to avoid such cuts, and to support ongoing updates to provider rates.

An Open Letter to the Texas Congressional Delegation on State Fiscal Relief

Scott McCown — 2010-02-04T15:47:57-06:00

The Center for Public Policy Priorities is a member of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, and we monitor the state budget closely. While the recession may not be as long or deep in Texas, things are bad. Because of falling tax revenues our state government needs additional fiscal help from Congress to avoid reductions in public services such as education or increases in taxes such as the school property tax. We urge Congress to provide additional state fiscal relief to ensure our state can meet vital needs and our economy fully recovers.

Hard Times for Food Hardship in U.S., Texas

CPPP — 2010-02-01T12:25:38-06:00

Nearly one in five Texans struggle to afford food, according to a report released last week by the Food Research and Action Center. The Lone Star State is among 20 states with food hardship rates of 20 percent or higher in 2008-2009. Food hardship among families with children was even more pronounced, with 27.2 percent of Texas families reporting difficulty affording food. The study calls for job creation measures and increased investment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) and other federal nutrition programs that help families afford food during tough economic times. To rise to this challenge, Texas needs to fix the problems in its SNAP eligibility system, where staffing shortages are preventing hundreds of thousands of needy Texans from accessing food assistance. Congress can help America's struggling families by extending the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) additional unemployment benefits.

A side-by-side analysis of key differences for Texas between Senate and House national health care reform bills

Anne Dunkelberg,Stacey Pogue — 2010-01-22T15:51:05-06:00

Texas particularly needs national health care reform: 6.1 million Texans have no health insurance, including 1 in 3 working-age adults and 1 in 5 children. Narrowing the scope of pending legislation to address only health insurance reform won't help Texas because so many Texans cannot afford health insurance. If Congress abandons two of the key provisions of reform--help with premiums and out-of-pocket costs for low-to-moderate income Texans and Medicaid expansion for working poor adults--Texas will see very little reduction in uninsured citizens.

Fighting Hunger, Improving Nutrition: Progress and Opportunities in the Texas Legislature

Celia Hagert — 2010-01-22T16:31:28-06:00

CPPP senior food and nutrition policy analyst Celia Hagert delivered this presentation on "fighting hunger, improving nutrition" to the Texas Food Policy Roundtable, a new initiative founded by the Christian Life Commission of the General Baptist Convention of Texas.

CPPP Urges Administration and Congress to Move Forward on National Health Care Reform

Scott McCown — 2010-01-22T18:09:34-06:00

CPPP today issued a statement on national health care reform, urging Congress and the Administration to move forward with the reform effort.

Texas & National Health Reform: Who Will Gain Coverage; Issues for Texans and State Government

Anne Dunkelberg — 2010-01-15T14:35:48-06:00

As the Senate and House leadership worked to negotiate a compromise national health reform bill, the CPPP's Anne Dunkelberg made this presentation comparing key coverage features of the bills and illustrating the scope of increased Medicaid enrollment and costs under the 2 bills to the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Annual Policy Orientation. Medicaid expansion and increased take-up by already-eligible kids will require significant new state Medicaid dollars, but those will be offset with Texas receiving from 10 to 13 new federal matching dollars for each state dollar Texas must contribute.

The State of Texas Children: Breakfast Briefing

Frances Deviney — 2010-01-14T16:36:10-06:00

Join Dr. Harriett Romo, Director, UTSA CAPRI/Mexico Center, and Frances Deviney, Ph.D., Texas Kids Count Director, for a breakfast briefing on the well-being of children in San Antonio, Bexar County, and across Texas.

State Auditor to Review SNAP Administration

Celia Hagert — 2010-01-12T16:44:38-06:00

Last month, Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Tom Suehs asked the Texas State Auditor to review the agency's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) operations and recommend changes to address the persistent and severe backlogs and delays in application processing, among other performance problems. The audit presents a critical opportunity to investigate the root causes of the problems facing our eligibility system and identify solutions.

This Policy Page outlines the problems, summarizes recent efforts to resolve them, identifies areas for further investigation, and offers potential solutions.

The Texas Health Care Primer (Revised 2009)

Anne Dunkelberg,Eva DeLuna Castro,Scott McCown,Stacey Pogue — 2010-01-07T13:00:52-06:00

The Center for Public Policy Priorities and Methodist Healthcare Ministries are pleased to release this updated primer, designed to give readers an introductory overview of factors shaping Texans' access to health care. Readers will be better able to contribute to federal, state, and local debates about how to improve health care access. There are two versions of the primer: The Booklet Version was designed for two-sided printing. The Side-by-Side Version was designed for on-screen viewing.

Small Steps Forward and Missed Opportunities in the 81st Texas Legislative Session Show Need for National Health Reform

Stacey Pogue — 2010-01-07T13:50:07-06:00

Every legislative session, Texas legislators struggle to allocate sufficient state dollars to ensure public health. Because of our hit-or-miss approach to health care and our lack of an adequate state revenue system, a higher percentage are shut out of health insurance in Texas than in any other state in the nation.

The following report summarizes how health care fared in the 2009 legislative session. It shows how often Herculean efforts resulted in mostly slight improvements in our state's public health care structures. For example, while the state took a few small steps forward in funding health care and access to coverage, the session was defined by the high-profile missed opportunities related to the CHIP program buy-in and the Texas Department of Insurance Sunset. Small steps forward are inadequate in light of the health care crisis in our state.

New Analysis Anticipates Child Poverty Increase

CPPP — 2010-01-07T16:17:47-06:00

More than one of every five Texas children, or nearly 1.5 million kids, lived in poverty during 2008--and when data from 2009 are compiled, that number is likely to increase to one of every four kids, according to a new analysis released Wednesday by First Focus and Brookings researcher Julia Isaacs. The increase in poor children is placing an even heavier burden on an already strained network of private charities and state agencies already reeling from the triple punch of inadequate funding, staffing shortages, and a broken eligibility system that withholds critical assistance to needy families.

Majority Rule Best Protects Texas

Scott McCown — 2010-01-06T15:29:02-06:00

Today the Governor proposed two constitutional amendments, a California-style budget and tax restriction based on minority rule and a Colorado-style spending restriction based on an arbitrary formula unrelated to what Texas needs or can afford. Texans are best protected by a representative democracy based on majority rule without arbitrary restrictions. Texas faces many challenges but spending too much is not the problem. Texas ranks near the bottom in state spending. The Texas problem is that low- and moderate-income families pay too much in taxes while the top pays too little. Minority rule and arbitrary spending limits are designed to protect the top, not to protect Texas.

Comments to TDI on Healthy Texas Rules

Stacey Pogue — 2010-01-05T17:25:02-06:00

With more than 6 million Texans lacking health insurance coverage and the cost of coverage growing much faster than incomes, Texas needs to take bolds steps to confront barriers to health coverage. Healthy Texas, a new public "reinsurance" program has the potential to put private health insurance coverage within reach of many uninsured Texans. To help the program live up to its goals, a few provisions in the proposed rules related to continuation rights, medical underwriting, and payroll supporting documentation should be modified. CPPP submitted the comments below on the proposed Healthy Texas rules to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Why CPPP Supports Congress' Health Reform Bills and What You Can Do to Make the Final Bill Better

CPPP — 2009-12-23T10:48:36-06:00

Austin, Texas--The Center for Public Policy Priorities today released a statement regarding the center's position on the U.S. Senate's national health reform bill. During the holiday recess and the weeks to come, please visit and call on your member of Congress to do everything in their power to improve the final bill by including the House's stronger affordability and market reform provisions in the final bill.

Expanding the Reach of the Summer Food Program

Celia Hagert — 2009-12-21T09:25:50-06:00

Texas has one of the largest School Lunch Programs in the nation, serving meals to more than 2.5 million low-income children every day. The Summer Food Program is intended to serve the same population, yet it reaches only a fraction of the low-income children who eat lunch during the school year. This paper compares participation in the Summer Food Program to participation in the School Lunch Program for each county in Texas. It documents Texas' progress in the Summer Food Program, explores the barriers to participation, and makes recommendations for expanding the reach of the program in Texas.

Economic Recovery Act Keeping 640,000 Texans Out of Poverty During Recession

CPPP — 2009-12-18T10:41:39-06:00

Austin, Texas--The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) today highlighted a new report showing that, along with boosting the economy and saving and creating jobs, seven provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) enacted in February kept 640,000 Texans from falling into poverty this year. According to the study, released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), ARRA also reduced the severity of poverty for another 2.9 million impoverished Texans by boosting their incomes, in most cases by at least $700.