NCLEJ and Colleagues Protect Medicaid for Working Parents in Texas
We won a federal court order that saved Medicaid for more than 2,200 low-income Texas parents, many of whom would have lost their jobs without health care for chronic conditions. The policy we challenged under federal law would have allowed the state to end a parent’s Medicaid due to a trivial infraction of welfare rules, even when the parent was working or participating in welfare-to-work programs. Early in 2005, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld our victory, thereby sending a strong message to other states not to go down this route. We worked with Texas Legal Services Center; Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody; and the El Paso County Attorney. (Camacho v. Texas Workforce Commission)
Thanks to the Center for playing a critical role in our successful lawsuit challenging a new state policy that would have ended Medicaid for 2,200 low-income parents. Center lawyers used their expertise in federal Medicaid and welfare law to help shape the legal arguments that persuaded two federal courts. The Center’s participation was essential to our victory.
– Scott McCown, Executive Director, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (Texas)
