My job as
a nurse exposes me firsthand to the challenges that our health care system is
faced with. As in the rest of the state
of Texas, Austin is faced with an influx in its population size, the growing
elderly population, and the uninsured/under insured population that continually
stresses our health care system. The disparities that exist among theses groups
cannot simply be ignored and central Texas has begun to address these issues,
which ultimately also affect the future of health care for all of us.
Voters in Austin recently approved a
bond for Proposition 1, which provides for a 5-cent tax increase per $100 of
assessed property value. It will provide
the much-needed funds that will fund a new medical center in central Austin and
create programs to improve health care. There
are several reasons why a medical center is important to Austin right now. Without affordable options available, our
emergency departments will continue to be clogged up by the uninsured for
problems that could have been treated in another setting outside the ER. This is expensive care that our ER’s do not
always receive reimbursement for. In
partnership with the University of Texas, the new medical center will encompass
a research center that will contribute in attracting the best minds. New jobs
will also be created and there is a potential for Austin to be at the forefront
of medical research. The main opposition to this plan is concern that taxes are
going to be increased and that this plan will not materialize as planned.
Currently, Texas
is ranked last among all the states in the quality of care it provides. The
opportunities that will be made possible with the creation of this new medical
center will expand the reach of the quality care that we can provide to help
change this statistic in central Texas.
2 comments:
" Commentary on the blog " Health Care in Central Texas "
http://larredondotx.blogspot.com/
This article was written by a nurse who is a college student and works at a hospital in Texas.
The author is informing the public of her experiences with the challenges that the Texas healthcare system and the medical professionals face on a daily basis. The article touches on the growing population in Austin, Texas and she makes a very good point because news reports tell us that Austin, Texas has more than 10,000 people moving here every year. The article goes on to talk about the uninsured and under insured population that is causing a continued stress on the health care system in Texas. Well, you know what she is referring to; all the people from anywhere for any reason who receive treatment or services from hospitals in Texas, and can not or do not pay for them for some reason or another; like not having insurance. You, the tax paying citizens of Texas are paying for every person that needs treatment at a hospital that do not have insurance whether it is emergency room treatment or they have to be admitted and receive treatment services for a long or short period of time, the tax paying citizens of Texas pays for every one of these unpaid hospital bills. The article also states that the medical facilities don't always receive reimbursement for these unpaid hospital bills. The author is leading us directly to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) which aims to increase the quality, affordability and rate of health insurance coverage for americans and reduce the costs of health care for people and the government.
"Colleague Commentary"
My colleague, Larredondo, recently published a commentary on health care in Texas. She addressed her classmates and fellow Austinites urging that our city and state are in need of better suited medical care. She then presented the case for Travis County Central Health Proposition 1 as a solution to this problem. With her experience in the health care industry as a nurse she spoke of current overcrowding in our ER's and the statistic that ranks Texas last in the country for quality of health care. She supported her argument by stating that a resulting new medical center from Prop 1 would help to relieve congestion and financial burden on ER's by giving the public an alternate and more appropriate setting for certain treatments and necessary medical care.
While I agree with Larredondo's stance on health care reform and the funding of a new medical center in our state, I do not support this particular proposition as it would increase citizen's property taxes an additional 5 cents per every $100 of property value. I do not believe select tax payer's should be responsible for funding services given to the entire population of the county. I am definitely biased because I am currently in the process of buying my own house and with property taxes already so high, this is something I cannot support morally or financially. Many of us are struggling to achieve our own pursuits and I believe that something as important as health care should be exclusively funded by local, state and federal government's current revenue or an alternate source of income that does not increase taxes on a select few who are trying to build a life for themselves in the city they love.
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