People often say everything is bigger in Texas. Unfortunately, that’s true for the number of uninsured, too.
With more than 1 out of every 4 Texans going without health insurance, the state leads the nation in the rate of uninsured. For Dallas County, the problem is even bigger, with nearly 675,000 residents — a full 28 percent — uninsured. Only four counties in the country have a higher number.
No family should have to worry that a sudden illness or accident could mean financial ruin. With health care costs responsible for all too many U.S. bankruptcies, over 6 million uninsured Texans face that threat every day.
It’s not just a personal problem. The large number of uninsured hits the wallets of every Texan. Texas hospitals provide over $5 billion a year in uncompensated care. Texans pay for much of this care through local property taxes, increased premium costs and higher medical costs. Dallas County citizens created a hospital district in 1954, and that district levies a property tax that currently generates approximately $425 million a year. Those taxes go primarily to paying for care for people who do not have health insurance.
The good news: Help is coming for those who’ve suffered too long in fear of bankruptcy from medical bills and for taxpayers who’ve had to pay billions of dollars a year in hospital costs for the uninsured.
To read more on how Get America Covered will help uninsured Dallas County residents click here.
