The Fight Continues For Equitable Healthcare and Full Medicaid Expansion
The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director on HB 12 being signed into law today:
“TOP is proud to have been a champion for HB 12, a bill extending Medicaid health coverage for mothers up to a year after childbirth. This crucial legislation, fought for tirelessly by countless Texans, will positively affect all mothers across the state, particularly Black women. The passage of HB 12 is a testament to our collective organizing power, however the fight for healthcare justice in Texas is far from over.
“Black mothers face pregnancy-related complications at over triple the rate of their white counterparts, a health disparity that HB 12 aims to mitigate. While the bill is a significant achievement, the battle for a more equitable healthcare system, especially for Black and Latino communities, continues.
“This recent legislative session further highlighted the existing critical gaps in Texas healthcare policy. It’s shameful our legislature again failed to pass or even hold a hearing on Medicaid expansion, leaving an estimated 1.4 million uninsured low-income Texans, primarily Black and Latino, without vital healthcare access.
“TOP believes healthcare is a human right, and is committed to continuing to fight for just healthcare access, full implementation of HB 12, and holding state leaders accountable for their failure to expand Medicaid. The journey toward healthcare justice remains a priority for TOP, and our goal remains clear ― a Texas where all people, regardless of their race, background, or income, have access to the healthcare they need and deserve.”
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About Texas Organizing Project
TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.
The following statement was sent out June 16, 2023.