Texas Democrats Demand Federal Probe of Medicaid Backlog
Eleven U.S. House representatives, all Texas Democrats, sent letters demanding action on Texas' Medicaid application backlog, according to a Nov. 10 news release. The backlog grew from 1,671 pending applications at the start of 2026 to 237,505 by early September 2026, with on-time processing falling from 81% to 65% between last year and July 2026. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment dropped by roughly 247,000 between September 2025 and July 2026. The lawmakers sent letters to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, and Texas HHS Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth, requesting a federal investigation covering contracted vendors, a required corrective action plan, and asking Muth to seek funding from the state's rainy day fund. A letter cited HR 1 as a factor worsening the state's administrative bottlenecks. Responses were requested by Nov. 30.