With resources and funding from the federal government to the states to support access to healthcare during the pandemic now depleted and no longer available to the states, it has become more difficult for low-income Texans to find healthcare. With a growing measles epidemic, this access has become more urgent. Texas statutory and state constitutional law requires that each county provide access to health care to its indigent residents. While large urban areas can usually meet this requirement, rural parts of the state have fewer resources and larger challenges in providing healthcare. This session will cover how each county meets this indigent healthcare requirement (county indigent healthcare programs, public hospitals, hospital districts) and how to access the services. We will briefly discuss orders requiring hospitals receiving medicaid funding to inquire about citizenship status and our obligations as advocates to explain that requirement of hospitals and the patients option to decline to answer without any consequences to receiving treatment. Finally, the session will allow for discussion of advocacy strategy when a county is not following the law.
Volunteer, Texas Legal Services Center (volunteer)
Bruce Bower is a member of the State Bar of Texas and of the Poverty Law Section. The State Bar of Texas lists Mr. Bower as certified to provide representation in guardianship cases in Texas. Mr. Bower was employed by Texas Legal Services Center from 1989 to 2022 and now does... Read More →
