Agency seeks $300 million to bolster Medicaid

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is seeking a $300 million transfusion of funds to bolster the state’s Medicaid application process, The Texas Tribune reported.

The public health insurance program provides coverage for people or families with limited income, as well as pregnant women and people with disabilities. Wait time for applicants in Texas has been as long as 71 days, with nearly 132,000 pending applications last month.

The proposed funding would allow hiring more than 1,000 additional workers and upgrading a decades-old computer system to speed up the Medicaid application process in Texas.