WTOS Wanting Blue Card Increase

West Texas Organizing Strategy (WTOS) leaders met with the University Medical Center Board of Directors to ask that funds from the American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) be used to increase the budget of the Lubbock County Medical Indigent Program (Blue Card). These funds will allow citizens of Lubbock County to qualify for the Blue Card if they earn no more than 250% of the federal poverty guidelines rather than the current cap of 200%. Those who would most benefit from this increase are the working poor, those who have no health insurance from their employer, and who do not earn enough to pay for their own insurance.

WTOS has been asking the Lubbock City Council and the Lubbock County Commissioners for the past two years for each to set aside ARPA funds of $2 million over two years to fund this increase in the Blue Card program. This would begin to eliminate health disparities that exist in Lubbock County and be an authorized use of ARPA funds.