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“Code Red: The Critical Condition of Health in Texas,” a 2006 report that examined health care problems in Texas, has caught the attention of the Legislature, UT System Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Kenneth Shine, M.D., said during a spring visit to Houston.
Leading a March 23 colloquium, UT System
Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
Kenneth Shine, M.D., describes legislative
activity spurred by the “Code Red” report.
Photo by Rob Cahill
Since the start of the 80th Texas Legislative Session in Austin, close to 100 bills have been filed in response to the “Code Red” report, and at least eight bills have been referred to a subcommittee, Shine said. The 140-day legislative session concludes May 28.
Shine participated in a March 23 colloquium at The University of Texas School of Public Health titled “Reinventing Public Health: Transforming Health Care for the Uninsured in the State of Texas – Policy Implications of the Code Red Report.” It was the second of three colloquiums in the “Reinventing Public Health” series.
Other speakers included: Eduardo J. Sanchez, M.D., director of the school’s Institute for Health Policy; José A. Pagán, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Population Health Policy and professor of economics at The University of Texas - Pan American; and William M. Sage, M.D., J.D., vice provost for health affairs and holder of the James R. Dougherty Chair for Faculty Excellence in The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
“Code Red has been successful in every measure in increasing the discussion of the health uninsured in Texas,” said Sanchez, former commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The “Code Red” report was created by a nonpartisan task force sponsored by 10 major academic health institutions in Texas, including Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, the University of North Texas, and the six UT health institutions. The task force collected data, identified and assessed the magnitude of the problem of the uninsured in Texas, and made recommendations for consideration by policymakers.
According to the “Code Red” report, there are almost 6 million uninsured Texans and they account for 16 percent of the uninsured in the United States. Twenty five hundred uninsured Texans die prematurely each year and 1 million uninsured Texans do not receive adequate care for their chronic diseases.
The report’s recommendations addressed problems associated with the “lack of health insurance coverage and health care access.” A complete copy of the report, along with pending legislation related to the report, is available online at http://www.CodeRedTexas.org.
Shine dispelled what he called myths concerning the uninsured. For example, 79 percent of uninsured Texans work or have a working family member, the report states. In addition, 76 to 82 percent of the uninsured in Texas are U.S. citizens.
He added that many Texans can’t afford health insurance. The average cost of health insurance premiums is almost half of the federal poverty limit. Further, most adults do not qualify for Medicaid in Texas, the report states.
Describing his presentation as a “progress report,” Shine said bills associated with the “Code Red” recommendations included initiatives to expand health coverage for Texans and to boost the number of caregivers in the Lone Star State.
“I am guardedly optimistic that we will get some movement,” Shine said. Conversely, Shine said a lack of movement by lawmakers could lead to higher health costs and other problems.
The final presentation in the three-part colloquium series was April 20, titled “Reinventing Public Health: Designing an Intersectoral Public Health System.” Beth Quill, UT School of Public Health associate professor of Management Policy & Community Health delivered the main address. Other speakers included: Lynda Frost, Ph.D., J. D., associate director for mental health policy and law, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, UT-Austin; Camille Miller, president/CEO, Texas Health Institute in Austin; and Sanchez.
Lu Ann Aday, Ph.D., the Lorne D. Bain Distinguished Professor in Public Health and Medicine in the UT School of Public Health, and author of the book Reinventing Public Health: Policies and Practices for a Healthy Nation,” addressed the Feb. 2 colloquium.
—Rob Cahill
Date Posted: 05/21/2007
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