Rep. Arrington Leads Texas Republicans in Amicus Brief on Rescission of Texas' Medicaid Waiver

WASHINGTON, July 24 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, issued the following news release on July 23, 2021:

Reps. Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Kevin Brady (TX-8), Michael Burgess (TX-26), and Dan Crenshaw (TX-2) led the entire Texas Republican delegation in filing an Amicus Brief in support of the State of Texas' lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS's unprecedented action to rescind the extension of Texas's Medicaid 1115 Waiver, leaving the future of healthcare for Texas's most vulnerable in jeopardy.

"The Biden Administration's unprecedented decision to revoke a previously-approved state waiver is a tremendous threat to millions of Texas Medicaid patients," said Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19). "As a champion for rural healthcare, I am especially concerned about the impact this decision could have on Texans living in rural communities. I am proud to lead the Texas delegation in amplifying the concerns raised in Attorney General Paxton's lawsuit, and I urge CMS to reinstate the 1115 waiver so the most vulnerable patients in the Lone Star State can access the care they need."

"We can't have the Biden Administration jeopardizing the health of millions of Texans by playing politics with Medicaid as the COVID pandemic continues," said Rep. Kevin Brady (TX-08). If Texas is held hostage to Washington pressure to expand ObamaCare, it will be devastating to poor and minority families, local hospitals and overworked health care professionals in our state. Rescinding or delaying Texas' 1115 Waiver places undue strain on patients and medical providers, forcing them to wonder about the future of their health care after an already trying year. This egregious action negatively impacts access to vital mental and behavioral health services for Texans when they need them most, which is unacceptable. Texans - especially our most vulnerable populations - deserve better."

"It is still very disappointing and concerning that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rescinded the 10-year extension of Texas' Medicaid 1115 Waiver," said Dr. Michael Burgess (TX-26)."The actions in which this decision came forward appear to be solely politically motivated. After being pushed to the brink during the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas health care providers and patients do not deserve this unwarranted attack on their ability to receive and provide health care. This waiver extension would have allowed vital Medicaid dollars to reach hospitals that provide care to disadvantaged and underserved patients in Texas. Now hospitals, such as Parkland Memorial in Dallas, that depend on these crucial Medicaid payments to offer care have been stripped of the certainty provided by this waiver and will be unable to plan financially for the future."

"The Biden Administration jeopardized the health of countless Texans with their unprecedented move to revoke our previously-approved Medicaid waiver," said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX-2). "I'm proud to join this lawsuit and call on CMS to reinstate the 1115 waiver immediately so the most vulnerable Texans aren't hurt further by the Biden Administration's recklessness."

"Our vulnerable patients in the Medicaid program and our rural hospitals, critical to our state, deserve better than the treatment they've received from the Biden administration," said David Balat, Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Right on Healthcare Initiative. "Using at-risk people for the purpose of political maneuvering has no place in civil society."