AUSTIN — During a Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee meeting last week, Senator César J. Blanco reaffirmed his dedication to improving access to healthcare for Texans, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
With the growing healthcare deserts across the state, Senator Blanco emphasized the need for ensuring every Texan, no matter their zip code, has the ability to receive timely, affordable and quality care. “Our healthcare system is leaving too many Texans behind — especially those living in our rural areas,” Blanco said. “In many counties, families face a stark reality: either travel long distances for care or go without. Mothers, fathers and grandparents are forced to make difficult choices between seeking the care they need or skipping treatment altogether because it’s too far, too costly, or simply unavailable.”
Blanco, a longtime advocate for healthcare access, introduced the HEAL Texans Act during the 88th Legislative Session to expand access to quality healthcare and address Texas’ healthcare workforce shortage. Blanco highlighted the urgent need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure by incentivizing primary care providers to serve in rural areas, expanding telemedicine, and supporting rural hospitals at risk of closure. He emphasized that without legislative action, the gap between urban and rural healthcare access will continue to widen, leaving more Texans without the care they deserve.
“There’s no doubt: nurse practitioners are already providing the quality care their community needs,” said Dr. David Hackethorn, internal medicine specialist and Texas Silver-Haired Legislature member. “With Texas facing a dire shortage of about 5,000 primary care providers, letting nurse practitioners use their full training and skills is a critical step toward solving Texas’ access to healthcare crisis.”
“Out of the 254 counties in Texas, 224 are experiencing shortages in primary care professionals, making it difficult for many Texans to access healthcare services,” said Tom Aldred, executive director of Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute. “Allowing APRNs to practice to the top of their license is an obvious part of the solution to this problem and could also reduce healthcare costs. Multiple studies have shown APRNs are highly qualified to serve patients in this role, given their extensive education and training. More than half of the country already utilizes full practice for APRNs, and a dozen more give them considerably more authority than Texas does. It is time for Texas to follow suit and better utilize qualified APRNs to improve access to healthcare.”
“APRNs provide safe, cost effective care to Texans in need,” said Emily Brizzolara-Dove, policy advisor for Texas 2036. “The current regulatory structure hamstrings these providers with an undue administrative and financial burden that does not provide value to patients. The HEAL Texans Act seeks to ease administrative pathways so that additional capacity can be added to the healthcare workforce in areas of Texas that desperately need it.”
“This legislation is not just about policy — it’s about people,” Blanco continued. “It’s about the women and new mothers who struggle to find basic prenatal and reproductive care. It’s about the children who have to wait weeks to get the pediatric care they need because the pediatrician is only in town every so often. And it’s about the senior citizens who can’t grow old in the place they want to retire because they live in a county without a single full-time doctor. These are the faces we can’t forget. We need to show up for them.” Blanco added, “I want to thank Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Chair Lois Kolkhorst for prioritizing access to care as an interim charge this session. Access to healthcare should never be a privilege that’s determined by your address. It’s a basic human right. We owe it to our underserved and rural communities to ensure that healthcare is within reach for every Texan.”
