Cuts to Medicaid Supported by Congressional Republicans Would Have a Devastating Impact on Health Care Access for Residents in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley - Families USA Skip to Main Content
05.21.2025 / Press Release

Cuts to Medicaid Supported by Congressional Republicans Would Have a Devastating Impact on Health Care Access for Residents in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley

 New Fact Sheet from Families USA Highlights Importance of Medicaid for TX-15’s Families

ALICE, TX – A new fact sheet from Families USA details the impacts of deep cuts to the Medicaid program in the Republican budget that Rep. De La Cruz voted for, which would have devastating consequences for the health and economic security of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Texas’ Medicaid program, including STAR, STAR Health, STAR Kids and STAR+PLUS, provides health care coverage for more than 181,000 residents in this district, according to the fact sheet.

“Americans have been showing up in townhalls, calling their representatives in Congress and demanding that Republicans in Washington stop their plan to massively cut the health care that Americans want and need,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA. “Deep cuts to Medicaid would be devastating for Texas residents, resulting in significant coverage losses, forcing rural hospitals, long-term care facilities or community clinics to close or scale back services, and throwing state budgets into crisis. We should all be asking every member of Congress who has repeatedly voted for this budget why they are willing to harm working families in their own district just to pay for a tax break for billionaires.”

Medicaid is a lifeline for South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley:

  • 181,400 residents — 23% of all residents in TX-15, the second highest Medicaid enrollment in the state.
  • 105,900 children — 47% of all children living in TX-15.
  • 42,000 seniors and people with disabilities have Medicaid coverage.

Families in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley already struggle to pay for health care:

  • 78% of people living near San Antonio and 87% of people living in parts of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley are worried about affording health care.
  • 43% of people living near San Antonio and 54% of people living in parts of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley had to deplete savings, take on debt or sacrifice basic necessities to obtain medical care.
  • 56% of people living near San Antonio and 60% of people living in parts of South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley skipped needed care due to cost.

Families USA, the longtime health consumer advocate, is organizing with groups in Texas and across the nation to protect Medicaid from severe cuts, caps or other regulations that will result in millions of Americans losing access to the health care they need. Earlier this year, Families USA led hundreds of organizations to call on Congress and the Trump administration to reject cuts to Medicaid and work to make health care more affordable, not less.

For additional resources, see Families USA’s fact sheets on how work reporting requirements would undermine access to Medicaid, how cuts harm families and communities, and the overall importance of Medicaid to people, the economy and the health care system.