Texas

On the surface, the story of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation in Texas is one fraught with politics. Republicans oppose the law and don't promote the federal health insurance marketplace in Texas, while Democrats tout increasing Obamacare signup numbers and want the state to expand Medicaid eligibility.KUT's Veronica Zaragovia has just completed a six-month reporting project on the Affordable Care Act in Texas as a 2014 National Health Journalism Fellow. This is part of the California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, a program of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.While she's been reporting on the political debate, for this fellowship she's focused on the people in Texas affected by this federal health care law and the impact on businesses and nonprofits.The three feature stories below and a discussion panel are all projects for the fellowship, which started off last July beneath sunny skies and skinny palm trees in Los Angeles, where the 2014 fellows gathered at USC for several days of health care sessions and site visits.We hope the stories below have helped shed light on the federal health care law here in our community. Share your own experiences with health insurance and the ACA or any comments you may have.

Health Policy Experts Explain the Affordable Care Act's Impact in Texas

KUT 90.5

Published November 19, 2014 at 7:26 AM CST

L-R: Tim Eaton, Prof. Sam Richardson, Bee Moorhead and Rep. John Zerwas discussed the Affordable Care Act at KUT on Nov. 18, 2014.

A few days after the start of the second enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act, a discussion took place at KUT on the health care law's implementation in Texas. Topics included what lawmakers considered in the 2013 legislative session to get the 1.5 million Texans who fall in the Medicaid coverage gap insured, how premiums shifted for 2015 plans on the federal marketplace in Texas, the people who make up Texas' high rate of the uninsured and what the chances are the 84th Legislature will take up this discussion in January.

KUT's Veronica Zaragovia moderated the discussion with a panel of health care experts:

State Representative John Zerwas (R-Simonton)
Bee Moorhead of Texas Impact
LBJ School Professor Sam Richardson
Tim Eaton with the Austin American-Statesman

The event was a production of KUT News and The California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships, a program of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.