Op-Eds

We hear from Texans every day who have rightfully grown weary of our health care system. Wait times are too long, bills are too high, and Congress often seems too little too late on plans to fix it. But last year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans secured meaningful health care reforms through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that will improve health care access and affordability for Texans and all Americans. 

First and foremost, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivered historic wins for rural communities. This landmark legislation established the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a $50 billion initiative that represents the single largest investment in rural health care in more than two decades. Texas received $281 million this fiscal year through the RHTP – the most of any state in the nation. The Lone Star State is expected to receive similar amounts annually over the next four years. 

These resources will provide a vital safety net for rural communities, particularly in places like East Texas, home to multiple health systems that deliver exceptional care. We will visit with health care professionals at the UT Tyler Health Science Center later this week to discuss how RHTP funding would improve operations throughout East Texas. Bold strides are already being made with the establishment of the UT Tyler School of Medicine, and RHTP funding will only accelerate these efforts, whether through modernizing infrastructure or bolstering recruitment and retention. For smaller providers, RHTP funding could mean the difference between closing and staying afloat. The good news is that local providers who know their communities best will have flexibility in determining how funds are spent.  

The benefits to the Piney Woods don’t stop there. Families who live outside the hustle and bustle of city life can rest assured knowing that the Working Families Tax Cuts Act prioritized telehealth as another cost-saving, convenient option. Working parents with busy schedules, seniors with mobility challenges, and folks with compromised immune systems all benefit from receiving care from home. And rural patients can connect with doctors without driving hours to the nearest hospital. By permanently allowing patients with high-deductible health plans access to telehealth services without first having to meet their deductibles, Republicans ensured remote care remains a lasting option for Texans. 

The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also bolstered support for elderly and homebound Texans. By expanding access to Home and Community-Based Services, this law gives individuals with disabilities or substance use disorders the opportunity to receive care at home or another setting of their choosing. For many, these services offer a level of specialized care that is beyond the scope of what a family alone can provide. This law also prioritized older Texans by halting Biden-era regulations that threatened the viability of nursing homes and long-term care providers. Ensuring that both home-based services and nursing facilities remain available is crucial to families caring for aging parents and loved ones with complex medical needs. 

Finally, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act expanded access to Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, which allow individuals to set aside pre-tax dollars to cover medical expenses ranging from prescriptions to deductibles. Until now, millions of Americans were locked out of this powerful financial tool. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act helped close this gap by extending HSA eligibility to people enrolled in Bronze-level and Catastrophic plans. These plans typically offer lower premiums but higher deductibles – an attractive option for younger workers, gig workers, and self-employed Texans. Extending HSAs to these lower-tier plans gives individuals the opportunity to plan for health expenses using tax-advantaged savings, giving patients greater control over how they shop for care and prepare for unexpected medical bills. 

In full, these reforms represent a shift toward a more patient-centered approach to health care policy. Republicans delivered tangible, practical improvements through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that lower costs, empower patients, and expand access to care.

Two decades ago, Democrats passed the “Un-Affordable” Care Act on partisan lines prioritizing political expediency over long-term stability. In Obamacare’s wake, premiums climbed, insurance companies’ profits soared, and patients were left with skyrocketing costs and shrinking choices. But now, the health care reforms championed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans tell a different story – one that demonstrates reform is possible. Republicans have more work ahead of us, but the Working Families Tax Cuts Act marked an important step toward healing our broken health care system.