Medicaid in Texas: Federal Funding of Disproportionate Share Hospitals and the Impact Upon Indigent Care

This comment addresses how Texas’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program (DSH) has been altered through legislation, affecting the manner in which hospitals in Texas handle their indigent care. It discusses how Texas must carefully manage its Medicaid plan and maintain some control over the critical distribution of funds within the state. It covers how hospitals receive reimbursements, upper payment limits, Texas’s Medicaid Budget, legislation affecting the DSH system, and proposed changes to the DSH system. Finally, this comment advises ways to maintain a strong and efficient Medicaid system in Texas.