Political Updates
Chapter Ten: Revenues, Expenditures, and Fiscal Policy

Human Services, pg. 449

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Texas legislators faced the dilemma of balancing increased costs for medical and indigent care with the availability of services. Although most of Texas's uninsured children were eligible for Medicaid benefits, the system was so complex their parents were unable to qualify them for benefits. A consideration in making the system accessible to more users was the accompanying increased cost. Modifications were made to simplify the program. In July 2001, Attorney General John Cornyn issued an opinion prohibiting public hospitals from providing preventative medical care to undocumented immigrants. As urban hospitals struggled with this ruling, the Harris County District Attorney announced his intention to conduct a grand jury investigation if the Harris County Hospital District persisted in providing medical treatment to anyone in the United States illegally.