Care for Aging / Sick

Ken Paxton (R)

Paxton's Senate campaign issues page does not have a dedicated seniors, Medicare, or Medicaid plank. He sued the Biden administration in 2024 to block CMS minimum staffing rules for nursing homes, arguing they would force rural facilities to close due to a 10,000-worker shortfall. He won a federal ruling in Sept. 2025 striking down a CMS rule expanding federal oversight of state Medicaid funding. He has long opposed the ACA and has not commented publicly on the enhanced premium tax credit expiration that disproportionately affects near-elderly adults age 50-64. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country and has not expanded Medicaid; Paxton has not used his platform to advocate for expansion.

James Talarico (D)

Talarico would let every American join Medicare regardless of age as an affordable not-for-profit public option. He would protect Social Security from cuts and eliminate the tax cap above $400K, expand the Older Americans Act for home- and community-based eldercare, and develop a high-quality elder-care workforce. He would save rural hospitals through better Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, regulate PBMs and prior authorization, and ban medical debt on credit reports. He opposes VA privatization and would expand veterans' mental health services. In Texas he capped insulin co-pays at $25/month, authored the Canadian drug-import law, established a prescription drug savings program for uninsured Texans, and voted for the 'thirteenth check' supplemental retirement payment for retired teachers.

Care for Aging / Sick

Ken Paxton (R)

James Talarico (D)

Sources