Politics or People?

How Titus County, Texas Stands To Benefit from Obamacare

Why is Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) putting politics over people?
Starting October 1, millions of Americans will finally be able to sign up to purchase quality, affordable health care for the first time when the new Obamacare marketplaces open for enrollment. Many of these same Americans and others will be eligible for subsidies that will make coverage even more affordable. And come January 1, 2014, the worst abuses of the insurance industry, including denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions, will be history. But many conservatives in Congress and their allies are refighting old political battles and refusing to help people and businesses from even finding out about how the law will work and how to take advantage of its benefits. Sadly, many of these opponents of Obamacare represent counties with some of the highest rates of uninsured people in the nation. Out of the more than 3,100 counties in the nation, the residents of Titus County, Texas are among those who stand to benefit the most from Obamacare. Nevertheless, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) has been determined to repeal Obamacare and to let insurance companies once again deny care to people with pre-existing conditions, set lifetime limits on coverage and charge women more than men. Obamacare is the law of the land. Its time for Rep. Hall to stop playing political games and to start making sure his constituents have the information they need to take advantage of the benefits and get health care coverage.

Titus County Facts:

9,049 are uninsured. Of the 28,399 people under age 65 in Titus County, 31.9 percent are uninsured, putting it as the 59th worst county out of over 3,100 counties in the nation.i 4,239 women are uninsured. In Titus County, 29.8 percent of women under age 65 are uninsured placing it in the 2nd percentile among all counties in the nation and the 65th worst county out of over 3,100 counties overall.ii 4,551 young people are uninsured. In Titus County, 48.9 percent of young people age 18 to 39 lack health insurance, including 53.5 percent of men. This makes it among the 50 worst counties and the worst one percent in the nation along both of these measures.iii 20 percent of African Americans are uninsured. In Titus County, 20 percent of African Americans are uninsured placing it in the 34th percentile among all counties in the nation.iv 4,785 Hispanics are uninsured. In Titus County, 39 percent of Hispanics are uninsured placing it in the 28th percentile among all counties in the nation.v High rate of heart disease. Titus Countys heart disease mortality rate of those under age 75 is 86.5 per 100,000 people 27 percent over the national average.vi High rate of diabetes. The county has a rate of diabetes prevalence that is more than 12 percent higher than the national average, at 9.3 percent of the population.vii

High rate of stroke. Titus Countys stroke mortality rate of those under age 75 is 12.7 per 100,000 people 8 percent over the national average.viii

Rep. Ralph Hall

Rep. Hall has been wasting time playing political games to try and repeal health care 34 times without even a plan to replace it.ix And even though his constituents would benefit from the law, Rep. Hall keeps trying to sabotage the law from working: I look forward to the November elections with the hope that a Republican President will be able to work with Congress to strike down this bad law."x During a time when the economy is weak and so many families are struggling, Obamacares rising health care costs and mandates are an increasingly heavy burden.xi Americans deserve responsible health care reform, which is why I continue to work to defund as much of Obamacare as possiblexii
Census Bureau, "Small Area Health Insurance Estimates," 2010. http://www.census.gov/did/www/sahie/data/interactive/ (last accessed July 2013). ii Ibid. iii Ibid. iv Census Bureau, "American Community Survey," 3-year estimates 2008-2010. Accessed using American Fact Finder: http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml (last accessed July 2013). v Ibid. vi Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Tables, 3 -year estimates 20082010, http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DHDSPAtlas/reports.aspx (last accessed July 2013). vii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Interactive Diabetes Atlases, 2009, http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/atlas/ (last accessed July 2013). viii Centers for Disease Control a nd Prevention, Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Tables, 3 -year estimates 20082010, http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DHDSPAtlas/reports.aspx (last accessed July 2013). ix Based on internal calculations of 39 separate roll call votes to repeal, defund or otherwise dismantle the Affordable Care Act from January 1, 2011 through July 17, 2013. This includes one voice vote for which no recorded vote was taken. x Ralph Hall, Defund Obamacare, http://ralphhall.house.gov/defund-obamacare (last accessed July 2013) xi Ralph Hall, Hall Votes to Delay "Obamacare" Mandates for Employers and Families, 18 July 2013, http://ralphhall.house.gov/press-releases/hall-votes-to-delay-obamacare-mandates-for-employers-and-families/ (last accessed July 2013). xii Ralph Hall, Hall Votes to Repeal Obamacare, 16 May 2013, http://ralphhall.house.gov/press-releases/hall-votes-to-repealobamacare/ (last accessed July 2013).
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