This North Texas city just approved free healthcare for all residents (Dallas: rental, insurance)

[elnina]

The city of Ferris, southeast of Dallas, has announced a unanimous approval for residents to receive free healthcare.

According to city manager Brooks Williams, Ferris is the first city in the state, and the country to do something like this.

City manager Brooks Williams says the plan will provide mental and physical healthcare that provide "convenience, consistency and efficiency" at no cost to residents.

He said funding for the "Access For All" solution won't come from taxpayers or Ferris' general fund. Instead, it'll be paid for with funding from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

https://www.wfaa.com/amp/article/new...2-bdeeeffc72e5

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by elnina

The city of Ferris, southeast of Dallas, has announced a unanimous approval for residents to receive free healthcare.

According to city manager Brooks Williams, Ferris is the first city in the state, and the country to do something like this.

City manager Brooks Williams says the plan will provide mental and physical healthcare that provide "convenience, consistency and efficiency" at no cost to residents.

He said funding for the "Access For All" solution won't come from taxpayers or Ferris' general fund. Instead, it'll be paid for with funding from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

https://www.wfaa.com/amp/article/new...2-bdeeeffc72e5

A humanitarian or naive (for lack of a softer word) gesture if this story is true? Ferris intends to take basically a one time infusion of Federal TAXPAYER dollars and provide free healthcare to residents. So what is their plan when that money runs out? Is it election year in Ferris?

[albert648]

Originally Posted by escanlan

A humanitarian or naive (for lack of a softer word) gesture if this story is true? Ferris intends to take basically a one time infusion of Federal TAXPAYER dollars and provide free healthcare to residents. So what is their plan when that money runs out? Is it election year in Ferris?

My thoughts exactly.

Remind me never to move anywhere near Ferris ever. They'll eventually have to raise property taxes to pay for this.

[escanlan]

Originally Posted by albert648

My thoughts exactly.

Remind me never to move anywhere near Ferris ever. They'll eventually have to raise property taxes to pay for this.

This is a little more detailed explanation of what is being implemented.


https://beerhoptacularblog.com/healt...its-residents/


Note that it is "Telemedicine", "Virtual Visits" and a minimal "mobile component" using paramedics and a mobile health unit appearing at local parking lots on a scheduled basis by a company called MD Health Pathways https://mdhealthpathways.com/ . It appears they are purchasing this basic healthcare service for every resident regardless of income level. It winds up being a method of seeing the "Sniffles" cases to prevent them from flooding emergency rooms that are being hammered by minor issues.


Also note they intend to fund the first two years with the COVID relief money created by Federal TAXPAYER dollars and then are hoping for grants of other TAXPAYER dollars to continue funding the program.


So what it appears is a program of extremely limited, extremely basic, health care services funded by various TAXPAYER dollars in an attempt to either replace or supplement Medicaid which is funded by TAXPAYER dollars. Interesting given the originators reported background in finance and business https://www.ferristexas.gov/people/brooks-williams .


I do laud the individual for trying but there is no need to re-invent the wheel and instead it would be much better to work with the existing system to improve it as well as provide more advanced and reliable services. For example I see in his profile he has dealt with CVS. There is a CVS pharmacy with a Minute Clinic located 9 miles away in Red Oak. These Minute Clinics are typically staffed with PA's and RN's who are capable of performing the same functions as a telemedicine person and beyond as they can put hands on a patient during an examination.



CVS also has a huge Prescription Benefit Management arm that along with its retail locations has a very large buying power. Why not work with CVS to open a similar operation in Ferris that has little to nothing of that type operation. While it is being built they can make arrangements for lowered cost of Minute Clinic and prescription charges at the Red Oak location to continue in Ferris when that opens. CVS is always looking for PR stunts to make themselves appear so magnanimous. Once the arrangements are made then the City can use those Federal TAXPAYER dollars to help those who actually can not afford it which can stretch the 2 years out a little farther before they make a "Hail Mary" pass for more grants and funds.

[roodd279]

won't come from taxpayers

OR


funding from the federal government's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Both things cannot be simultaneously true...right?


Seems like this Texas town is getting "free" insurance that I paid for from Ohio.


Folks - nothing is free. It's not free in Canada or Germany or anywhere else. It's paid for with taxes. There is no other way except: Doctors agree to work for nothing; hospitals agree to charge nothing - and so their utility providers will charge them nothing. So they must get the coal for free. From a mine. That charges nothing. From a coal worker - who works for free.


Ya see how that works? That is how you get something for "free." Otherwise - it's tax dollars.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by escanlan

A humanitarian or naive (for lack of a softer word) gesture if this story is true? Ferris intends to take basically a one time infusion of Federal TAXPAYER dollars and provide free healthcare to residents. So what is their plan when that money runs out? Is it election year in Ferris?

Originally Posted by escanlan

Also note they intend to fund the first two years with the COVID relief money created by Federal TAXPAYER dollars and then are hoping for grants of other TAXPAYER dollars to continue funding the program.


So what it appears is a program of extremely limited, extremely basic, health care services funded by various TAXPAYER dollars in an attempt to either replace or supplement Medicaid which is funded by TAXPAYER dollars. Interesting given the originators reported background in finance and business https://www.ferristexas.gov/people/brooks-williams .

Did I miss the memo about capitalizing "taxpayer"?

[Threestep2]

Doc in the box is not healthcare.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by escanlan

This is a little more detailed explanation of what is being implemented.


https://beerhoptacularblog.com/healt...its-residents/


Note that it is "Telemedicine", "Virtual Visits" and a minimal "mobile component" using paramedics and a mobile health unit appearing at local parking lots on a scheduled basis by a company called MD Health Pathways https://mdhealthpathways.com/ . It appears they are purchasing this basic healthcare service for every resident regardless of income level. It winds up being a method of seeing the "Sniffles" cases to prevent them from flooding emergency rooms that are being hammered by minor issues.

^^^ this actually sounds like a good idea.
ERs ARE flooded by people with minor issues or no issues at all, while people with more serious issues must wait there in real pain for hours.
If we can spend some part of our taxes on that instead of outrageous government salaries, military and wars, than it's taxpayer money well spent. Or at least better spent, in my opinion.
Get those with running nose or broken fingernail quick assessment and send them home. Yes, from a doctor in a box. ER is for EMERGENCY!

[WorldKlas]

Ferris demographics, 2022:
Ferris Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Ferriswas:

White: 76.86%
Black or African American: 13.08%
Other race: 5.46%
Two or more races: 4.46%
Asian: 0.15%
Native American: 0.00%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.00%

Ferris is a city located in Ellis County Texas. Ferris has a 2020 population of 3,481. Ferris is currently growing at a rate of 5.10% annually and its population has increased by 43.19% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 2,431 in 2010.

The average household income in Ferris is $65,310 with a poverty rate of 14.38%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $983 per month, and the median house value is $91,500. The median age in Ferris is 30.8 years, 32.1 years for males, and 29 years for females.

[Threestep2]

The last recorded census was 2010?