25% of the population in deep South Texas receive free health care. Known as The Valley, the region has unique health care and economic challenges including a high diabetes rate, high poverty rate, and heavy dependence upon government and health care jobs…………………
The link at the end of this blog entry is a must read for health insurance agents and consultants doing business the The Valley.
SOURCES: www.hidalgocounty.us & Wikipedia
The Rio Grande Valley is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande, which separates Mexico from the United States. The four-county region consists of Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, and Starr counties. It is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States,[1] with its population having jumped from about 325,000 people in 1969 to more than 1,300,000 people by 2014. Some of the biggest cities in the region are: Brownsville, Harlingen, Weslaco, Pharr, McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, San Juan, and Rio Grande City.
Hospitals[edit]
- Cornerstone Regional Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
- Edinburg Children’s Hospital, Edinburg, Texas
- Edinburg Regional Medical Center, Edinburg, Texas
- Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Edinburg, Texas (44 percent of all admissions and 85 percent of all births are covered by the Medicaid program)
- Harlingen Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
- McAllen Heart Hospital, McAllen, Texas
- McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, Texas
- Rio Grande Regional Hospital, McAllen, Texas
- Rio Grande State Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
- Solara Hospital, Harlingen, Texas
- VA Health Care Center at Harlingen. Harlingen, Texas
- Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas
- Valley Baptist Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
- Valley Regional Medical Center, Brownsville, Texas
- Knapp Medical Center, Weslaco, Texas
- Mission Regional Medical Center, Mission, Texas
The economy of the region is heavily dependent on the health care and education sectors and local government for employment. There are 13 for‐profit hospitals and two non‐profit hospitals, but no major public safety net hospital. The region is home to three Federally Qualified Health Clinics with multiple satellite locations; two community mental health centers; local county health departments and private practitioners that form the health care safety net for the region. Approximately 1400 physicians provide direct care and 728 are primary care providers.
THE FOLLOWING IS A MUST READ FOR HEALTH INSURANCE AGENTS DOING BUSINESS IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY:
www.hidalgocounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/16440/RHP-5-Plan-Final-Clean-12-31-121?bidId
