NurseWeek

Texas ponies up for children’s health

"Our plans and our goals are not dictated by an election cycle. This is a budget we have been working with now since the legislature enacted the program back in 1999."
~ Charles Stuart, spokesman, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

By Keith W. Murrow
Health24News
September 16, 2000


	You've read the article. Now tell us what you think. Related Sites Texas Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services CHIP Factsheet

WASHINGTON (H24N) – Denying it was the pressure from the courts and the publicity about the lack of children enrolled in Texas’s health care programs, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission infused cash into children’s health services provided by the state.

Texas’ Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) received a $4 million increase in its budget for public education, increased awareness and enrollment. According to Charles Stuart, spokesman for the commission, the "reallocation of funds" within the commission’s budget happened "over a month ago" but just recently came to light.

The budget shift, details of which became public this week, arrived on the heels of a federal judge’s criticism of the state health commission’s failure to correct problems with enrollment and lack of health coverage for low-income children in Texas.

The situation has also received considerable notoriety as Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Al Gore has repeatedly called Texas Governor and Republican nominee for the White House George W. Bush to the mat on his state’s national ranking as second to last in providing health care to poor children.

"Our plans and our goals are not dictated by an election cycle. This is a budget we have been working with now since the legislature enacted the program back in 1999," Stuart said. "We are not operating over here in a complete void; we know there is an election going on, but at the same time we’re charged with implementing a program."

Stuart went on to say that his office is just trying to "increase outreach" through the cooperation of various advocacy groups, and politics is not part of the mix.