Matt Collins
09-07-2011, 06:46 PM
Rick Perry: Anything but Conservative on Health Care
Aside from his praise for Hillary’s proposals in a 1993 letter, calling them “most commendable” and “worthy” (Politico (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/62335.html)), here are a few reasons for real conservatives to reject Perry’s faux stances on health care:
Perry Sought to Pioneer Bi-National Health Care In 2001… that is, health care for citizens on both sides of the southern border.
Perry At a Border Summit Speech (http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10688/):
There are other challenges that require a unified approach, especially in the area of health care. …In Texas, we recently placed a strong emphasis on preventative care when we expanded access to Medicaid for more low-income children by making the Medicaid enrollment process simpler. We allocated an additional $4 billion to the Medicaid program, and more than $900 million to the Children’s Health Insurance Program. I urged legislators to pass a telemedicine pilot program that will enable, through technology, a sick border resident of limited financial means to receive care from a specialist hundreds of miles away. But the effort to combat disease and illness requires greater cooperative efforts between our two nations. It is a simple truth that disease knows no boundaries. … We have much to gain if we work together to expand preventative care, and treat maladies unique to this region.
Legislation authored by border legislators Pat Haggerty and Eddie Lucio establishes an important study that will look at the feasibility of bi-national health insurance. This study recognizes that the Mexican and U.S. sides of the border compose one region, and we must address health care problems throughout that region. That’s why I am also excited that Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar is working on an initiative that could extend the benefits of telemedicine to individuals living on the Mexican side of the border.
Did you notice something else in the speech excerpt? Yes, Perry DID expand state health programs:
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry supported $27.4 billion in health care appropriations, an increase of $1.1 billion. He also backed an increase of $53 million for mental health services and $145 million for Child Protective Services. (HB 1, 76th) Lt. Governor Perry also backed legislation providing an $87 million increase for childcare programs and an additional $71 million for Welfare-to-Work Grants. (HB 1, 76th)
In 2001, Governor Perry signed a $34 billion appropriation for health services, an increase of $5 billion. He also approved a $76 million increase for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and other public health programs. Governor Perry supported a $19 million increase in Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) and a $20 million increase for Child Protective Services. (SB 1, 77th)
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry worked to pass a budget which included $18 billion in Medicaid funding, an increase of $838 million. Lt. Governor Perry supported increased funding of $63.4 for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. (HB 1, 76th)Lt. Governor Perry also supported legislation to prevent fraud of Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care, and a new law directing the state auditor to conduct a biennial study on fraudulent healthcare claims. (SB 1589, 76th) In 2001, Governor Perry signed a budget increasing Medicaid funding by $4.3 billion, including $970 million for acute care community care and nursing facility rate increases. Governor Perry also backed measures increasing efficiency in the Medicaid program, which will realize $205 million in Medicaid cost containment. The governor supported Medicaid simplification to increase personal responsibility for Medicaid recipients. (SB 1, 77th)
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry supported the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and backed $179 million in tobacco settlement funds to provide low-cost health insurance for children of working families. HB 1, 76th In 2001, Governor Perry also supported expanding the CHIP program by authorizing another $263 million for the program. SB 1, 77th In its first 18 months, the Texas CHIP program enrolled 480,000 Texas children, more and faster than any other state in the nation.
- Document on Perry for Governor Website in 2002
Aside from his praise for Hillary’s proposals in a 1993 letter, calling them “most commendable” and “worthy” (Politico (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/62335.html)), here are a few reasons for real conservatives to reject Perry’s faux stances on health care:
Perry Sought to Pioneer Bi-National Health Care In 2001… that is, health care for citizens on both sides of the southern border.
Perry At a Border Summit Speech (http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10688/):
There are other challenges that require a unified approach, especially in the area of health care. …In Texas, we recently placed a strong emphasis on preventative care when we expanded access to Medicaid for more low-income children by making the Medicaid enrollment process simpler. We allocated an additional $4 billion to the Medicaid program, and more than $900 million to the Children’s Health Insurance Program. I urged legislators to pass a telemedicine pilot program that will enable, through technology, a sick border resident of limited financial means to receive care from a specialist hundreds of miles away. But the effort to combat disease and illness requires greater cooperative efforts between our two nations. It is a simple truth that disease knows no boundaries. … We have much to gain if we work together to expand preventative care, and treat maladies unique to this region.
Legislation authored by border legislators Pat Haggerty and Eddie Lucio establishes an important study that will look at the feasibility of bi-national health insurance. This study recognizes that the Mexican and U.S. sides of the border compose one region, and we must address health care problems throughout that region. That’s why I am also excited that Texas Secretary of State Henry Cuellar is working on an initiative that could extend the benefits of telemedicine to individuals living on the Mexican side of the border.
Did you notice something else in the speech excerpt? Yes, Perry DID expand state health programs:
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry supported $27.4 billion in health care appropriations, an increase of $1.1 billion. He also backed an increase of $53 million for mental health services and $145 million for Child Protective Services. (HB 1, 76th) Lt. Governor Perry also backed legislation providing an $87 million increase for childcare programs and an additional $71 million for Welfare-to-Work Grants. (HB 1, 76th)
In 2001, Governor Perry signed a $34 billion appropriation for health services, an increase of $5 billion. He also approved a $76 million increase for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and other public health programs. Governor Perry supported a $19 million increase in Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) and a $20 million increase for Child Protective Services. (SB 1, 77th)
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry worked to pass a budget which included $18 billion in Medicaid funding, an increase of $838 million. Lt. Governor Perry supported increased funding of $63.4 for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. (HB 1, 76th)Lt. Governor Perry also supported legislation to prevent fraud of Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care, and a new law directing the state auditor to conduct a biennial study on fraudulent healthcare claims. (SB 1589, 76th) In 2001, Governor Perry signed a budget increasing Medicaid funding by $4.3 billion, including $970 million for acute care community care and nursing facility rate increases. Governor Perry also backed measures increasing efficiency in the Medicaid program, which will realize $205 million in Medicaid cost containment. The governor supported Medicaid simplification to increase personal responsibility for Medicaid recipients. (SB 1, 77th)
In 1999, Lt. Governor Perry supported the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and backed $179 million in tobacco settlement funds to provide low-cost health insurance for children of working families. HB 1, 76th In 2001, Governor Perry also supported expanding the CHIP program by authorizing another $263 million for the program. SB 1, 77th In its first 18 months, the Texas CHIP program enrolled 480,000 Texas children, more and faster than any other state in the nation.
- Document on Perry for Governor Website in 2002