Health Care
All South Texans deserve access to affordable, quality health care, especially those who live in rural communities and medically underserved areas. Unfortunately, South Texas is home to a large uninsured or underinsured population. Congressman Gonzalez is working with his colleagues to develop innovative ideas that lower health care costs and provide better coverage for more people.
The congressman recognizes that more needs to be done to lower premiums, expand coverage, and improve the Affordable Care Act. While the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction, he understands it is not perfect. For these reasons, he supports working across the aisle to build consensus and develop common sense solutions to the problems in our nation’s healthcare system.
Congressman Gonzalez is a staunch supporter of Medicaid and other programs that provide coverage for those who need it most: children with special needs, seniors, and the disabled. Thousands of elderly Texans rely on Medicare during their retirement years. The congressman is committed to strengthening the program and ensuring that the federal government honors its obligation to our seniors.
The congressman knows that medical doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals work tirelessly to deliver lifesaving services to South Texans. The congressman believes that we must not only invest in our community health clinics and hospitals, but that we also must fully fund health professions training programs like those at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and Texas Lutheran University so that South Texans receive the best care possible.
More on Health Care
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Anthony Gonzalez (OH-16), Tim Ryan (OH-13), Dave Joyce (OH-14), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) partnered to introduce the Isolate COVID-19 Act. This legislation will establish a federal program where states can receive funding to lease hotel properties for the purpose of temporarily housing individuals with COVID-19 who lack the ability to isolate or quarantine in their own homes and wish to voluntarily isolate themselves.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) issued the following statement after President Trump urged schools to reopen and threatened to withhold federal funding for those that do not resume normal operations in the fall.
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) issued a statement following the Trump administration’s decision to have hospitals report data directly to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) instead of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
“Now is not the time to change data reporting requirements for hospitals. Our nation is in crisis and our health systems are overwhelmed. We need reliable and transparent data to respond in the most effective manner possible. My colleagues and I will be investigating the reasoning behind this change.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar requesting the federal government provide additional financial support and stand up a field hospital to help respond to the COVID-19 surge in the Rio Grande Valley. Congressmen Filemon Vela (TX-34) and Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) also joined the letter.
MCALLEN, Texas – Today, Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) called on Governor Greg Abbott to issue stay-at-home orders in regions of the state most affected by the overwhelming surge of COVID-19 cases. South Texas has been hit particularly hard with a surge in cases in the entire region, with one in 10 deaths of COVID-19 recorded in Hidalgo County. Additionally, 10 of the 12 hospitals in Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr County are at capacity.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Members of the Texas Congressional Delegation urged Governor Greg Abbott to take additional steps to allow cities and counties to institute enforceable stay-at-home orders at their discretion. Governor Abbott has pursued one of the most aggressive economic reopening strategies in the United States that has resulted in skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Filemon Vela (TX-34) urged Governor Greg Abbott to immediately assign National Guard forces to the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) to address the spiraling COVID-19 crisis in the region.
Demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds has surpassed capacity in counties on the U.S.-Mexico border. Lacking space for COVID-19 patients in ICUs, emergency rooms across the Lower Rio Grande Valley are forced to continue to care for those who need intensive treatment even as new patients arrive at higher and higher rates.
WASHINGTON– Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and Members of the Texas Congressional Delegation called on Governor Greg Abbott to reinstate tougher COVID-19 safety measures. Rising case counts have hospitals nearing intensive care unit (ICU) capacity as Texas pursues one of the most aggressive economic reopening strategies in the nation.
WASHINGTON – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) and 52 bipartisan members of Congress called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to include senior living communities in future distributions of CARES Act coronavirus relief funding.
MCALLEN, Texas – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced $504,979 in Coronavirus (COVID-19) supplemental funding for Nuestra Clinica Del Valle. These funds are to help Nuestra Clinica expand testing for coronavirus treatment.