AUSTIN, TEXAS (KVEO NEWS CENTER 23) — In Austin, nearly a thousand protesters came out for a rally in support of the expansion of Medicaid in the Lone Star state.

They are asking for lawmakers to expand the Medicaid program so that an estimated 1.5 million additional, low-income individuals, can be included into the system. Healthcare providers and families of the poor and disabled are also demanding that the state reimburse doctors fully for their treatment. Governor Perry and other Texas Republicans say they're willing to expand Medicaid if the state is exempted from federal regulations.