Tons of of 1000’s of Texas households have been ready months for the state to course of their Medicaid purposes. The median processing time is 79 days regardless of a federal requirement to take action in 45 days. We’ve heard from households who say they may not entry essential care throughout that point, reminiscent of not having the ability to afford to reset their little one’s damaged nostril. Well being care suppliers have reported sufferers struggling to get lifesaving coronary heart surgical procedures.
The delays worsened after the federal authorities lifted pandemic-era protections final 12 months. Our reporting exhibits that Texas rushed by the method, eradicating greater than 900,000 kids not as a result of they had been ineligible, however for procedural causes like their households failing to fill out a type.
The backlog for meals advantages just isn’t a lot better. The state most just lately reported having almost 97,000 purposes to course of for the Supplemental Diet Help Program, or SNAP — also known as meals stamps — and stated that the median time it took was 33 days.
We’re dedicated to reporting on long-standing points with Texas’ social security internet and their root causes. We want assist from those that know the delays firsthand and the hurt they could trigger: the households who depend on and are presently ready for advantages. We wish to present any failures to the people who find themselves chargeable for overseeing these programs — lawmakers, advocates, even the federal authorities — and clarify the place the state could also be falling wanting its obligations.
Please fill out the shape under if:
- You’ve been ready greater than a month to listen to about your Medicaid or SNAP software and have confronted medical or monetary penalties.
- You’ve labored with the state and may help us perceive the explanations behind the persistent backlog, together with IT glitches, staffing points and funding shortages associated to Medicaid or SNAP.
- You assist individuals apply for advantages, or you’re a well being care employee or different skilled with perception on this difficulty.
Filling out the shape is one of the simplest ways to get in contact, however we perceive that life will get busy and sharing particulars of your scenario could also be simpler to do with a reporter by cellphone. Please point out on the shape under if that’s what you’d desire.
You may also name 602-848-9609 and depart us a voice message together with your identify, cellphone quantity and the most effective time to get in contact. We might name and ask you these similar questions. The decision ought to take about 10 minutes.
We respect you sharing your story, and we take your privateness critically. We’re gathering these tales for the needs of our reporting and can contact you if we want to publish any half.
For those who would like to make use of Sign, an encrypted messaging app, see our recommendation at propublica.org/ideas/#sign. You may also e mail our reporting workforce.
