Cuts to Medicaid Supported by Congressional Republicans Would Have a Devastating Impact on Health Care Access for Residents in South Texas, the Hill Country, West Texas and Far West Texas - 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, the Hill Country, West Texas and Far West Texas

New Fact Sheet from Families USA Highlights Importance of Medicaid for TX-23’s Families

PECOS, TX – A new fact sheet from Families USA details the impacts of deep cuts to the Medicaid program in the Republican budget that Rep. Gonzales voted for, which would have devastating consequences for the health and economic security of South Texas, the Hill Country, West Texas and Far West Texas. Texas’ Medicaid program, including STAR, STAR Health, STAR Kids and STAR+PLUS, provides health care coverage for more than 127,000 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, the Hill Country, West Texas and Far West Texas:

  • 127,200 residents — 16% of all residents in TX-23.
  • 72,800 children — 34% of all children living in TX-23.
  • 29,600 seniors and people with disabilities have Medicaid coverage.

Families in South Texas, the Hill Country, West Texas and Far West Texas already struggle to pay for health care:

  • At least 78% of people living across all regions in the district are worried about affording health care.
  • At least 43% of people living across all regions in the district had to deplete savings, take on debt, or sacrifice basic necessities to obtain medical care.
  • At least 56% of people living across all regions in the district 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.