Almost 1.2 million could be insured if Texas democrats expand Medicaid

After historic election-night wins for Democrats in Texas, nearly 1.2 million people in the state could become eligible for Medicaid if Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa can follow-through on her promise to pursue expansion of the program, reports Dylan Scott for Vox. 

"Texas has the highest uninsured rate of any state in the country," Scott writes, and statistically, the majority of those uninsured live in rural areas. 

"Democrats are in the strongest negotiating position they’ve ever had in the Lone Star State," Scott writes. They have the governor's office for the first time in 30 years, and control the house for the first time in 20 years. "You should expect to see Medicaid expansion bills filed on November 9, which is our first day for early bill filing," Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Impact told Scott. "Absolutely, it will be on the table."

Scott writes that Texans have been waiting for Medicaid expansion for decades, but Republican leaders "refused to budge." Now, even though there's no guarantee that Democrats will be able to make it happen because Texas' senate remains Republican-controlled, "for the first time, there is real reason hope."