INSIDER
Rural providers, advocates push Texas Legislature to "rescue" maternal health care system
Read full article: Rural providers, advocates push Texas Legislature to "rescue" maternal health care systemAlmost half of Texas counties have nowhere to get prenatal care, let alone deliver a baby. This plan offers legislative proposals to shore up whatās left.
Ken Paxton adds Dallas to list of cities he's sued over marijuana decriminalization
Read full article: Ken Paxton adds Dallas to list of cities he's sued over marijuana decriminalizationDallas is the sixth Texas city the attorney general has sued this year over marijuana decriminalization measures that he says conflicts with state law.
Texas hospitals are now required to ask for patientsā citizenship. Hereās what you should know.
Read full article: Texas hospitals are now required to ask for patientsā citizenship. Hereās what you should know.Gov. Greg Abbott wants to know how much hospitals spend caring for undocumented immigrants. Hospitals should not deny care based on how patients respond.
Could Texas do for Alzheimerās research what it did for cancer?
Read full article: Could Texas do for Alzheimerās research what it did for cancer?Modeled after the stateās $6 billion cancer research fund, the dementia fund ā a legislative priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ā could pump hundreds of millions of dollars into Texas researchers.
Los hospitales en Texas ahora deben preguntarle a sus pacientes sobre su ciudadanĆa. No tienes que responder.
Read full article: Los hospitales en Texas ahora deben preguntarle a sus pacientes sobre su ciudadanĆa. No tienes que responder.El gobernador Greg Abbott quiere saber cuĆ”nto gastan los hospitales en el cuidado de inmigrantes indocumentados. Los hospitales no deben negar atenciĆ³n en ningĆŗn caso.
Why Democratsā abortion messaging failed to resonate in Texas, despite unpopular bans
Read full article: Why Democratsā abortion messaging failed to resonate in Texas, despite unpopular bansTexasā strict abortion bans made it āground zeroā for Democrats hoping to rile up their base, but voters prioritized economic issues.
A push to change a 2019 Texas law that bars certain felons from becoming social workers
Read full article: A push to change a 2019 Texas law that bars certain felons from becoming social workersTexas prohibits people with assault convictions, among other felonies, from becoming social workers. A new lawsuit says the ban is unconstitutional.
Texas lawmakers target property taxes, abortion and gender transition care in first bills for the 2025 session
Read full article: Texas lawmakers target property taxes, abortion and gender transition care in first bills for the 2025 sessionTuesday marked the first day lawmakers could file bills for next yearās legislative session.
Texasā 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage ā for now
Read full article: Texasā 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage ā for nowThose enrolled in the federal program shielding them from deportation can enroll through Jan. 15, but a lawsuit and Trumpās anti-immigration stance threaten to eliminate eligibility.
A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
Read full article: A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS fundingAlthough Texas counties are not required to provide ambulance services, many are digging deep to pay for their own fleet or to contract out services.
How āwildly successfulā anti-trans ads fired up Texas voters for Republicans
Read full article: How āwildly successfulā anti-trans ads fired up Texas voters for RepublicansThe barrage of ads focused on trans kids playing youth sports motivated the Republican base as Democrats struggled to respond.
Amarillo voters reject abortion ātravel ban,ā a rare rebuke of anti-abortion movement in Texas
Read full article: Amarillo voters reject abortion ātravel ban,ā a rare rebuke of anti-abortion movement in TexasTuesdayās vote was a rare chance for Texans to vote directly on abortion restrictions. The state already has a near-total abortion ban.
Texas OB-GYNs urge lawmakers to change abortion laws after reports on pregnant women's deaths
Read full article: Texas OB-GYNs urge lawmakers to change abortion laws after reports on pregnant women's deathsThe group of 111 doctors cited recent ProPublica reporting on two pregnant women who died because doctors did not provide lifesaving care.
Board cancels costly psychologist licensing exam after pushback led by Texas
Read full article: Board cancels costly psychologist licensing exam after pushback led by TexasThe national licensing board announced it will consider folding the proposed skills test into an existing exam amid worries the additional hurdle would discourage applicants.
Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative session
Read full article: Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative sessionMedical marijuana providers say they must operate under strict rules while hemp products like delta-8 can proliferate.
Robots rule at University Hospital, creating solutions for staff efficiency
Read full article: Robots rule at University Hospital, creating solutions for staff efficiencyThe Texas Hospital Association reports health care staffing shortages in every sector of hospitals. In a mad dash for solutions, the key is efficiency. One of University Hospital's solutions is robots.
Ken Paxton sues Dallas pediatrician over providing hormone treatments to teens
Read full article: Ken Paxton sues Dallas pediatrician over providing hormone treatments to teensIn the first test of Senate Bill 14, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Dr. May Lau of providing testosterone to at least 21 teens.
What is shaken baby syndrome, the controversial diagnosis for which Robert Roberson is set to die?
Read full article: What is shaken baby syndrome, the controversial diagnosis for which Robert Roberson is set to die?The American Academy of Pediatrics embraces the diagnosis, but courts have thrown out some cases, calling it ājunk science.ā
Texasā order to ask hospital patientsā citizenship status renews focus on the stateās large uninsured population
Read full article: Texasā order to ask hospital patientsā citizenship status renews focus on the stateās large uninsured populationOn Nov. 1, hospitals will begin asking patients their citizenship status. But data suggests uninsured citizens, not immigrants, cost Texas hospitals more.
Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortion
Read full article: Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortionMarcus Silva and the women agreed to drop lawsuits against each other just days before they were set to go to trial.
Can ire over abortion ban finally put a Democrat on the Texas Supreme Court?
Read full article: Can ire over abortion ban finally put a Democrat on the Texas Supreme Court?Three Republican incumbents are being targeted for their role in recent abortion rulings by a new Democratic political action committee.
Animal welfare advocates will plead with Texas lawmakers to help cities control stray pet population
Read full article: Animal welfare advocates will plead with Texas lawmakers to help cities control stray pet populationOne group estimated more than 568,000 cats and dogs entered shelters in 2023. About 82,000 cats and dogs were euthanized.
In South Texas congressional race, Monica De La Cruz and Michelle Vallejo spar over health care
Read full article: In South Texas congressional race, Monica De La Cruz and Michelle Vallejo spar over health careThe topic is playing a major role in one of Texasā only competitive congressional races this year as the competitors debate Medicare, abortion and expanding coverage.
Texas maternal mortality committee asks to review abortion-related deaths
Read full article: Texas maternal mortality committee asks to review abortion-related deathsThe panel wants to review those cases, which have been excluded from state data for years, and other reforms amid a report that shows a spike in maternal deaths.
Why a conservative Texas mayor defied his peers and put the brakes on an abortion ātravel banā
Read full article: Why a conservative Texas mayor defied his peers and put the brakes on an abortion ātravel banāAmarillo Mayor Cole Stanley calls himself āpro-life.ā But the proposal to police the streets for women traveling out of state to get an abortion is overreach, he said.
Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.
Read full article: Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.Texas officials acknowledged some errors after they stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 2 million people, most of them children. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune review of records shows that these mistakes and others were preventable.
Texas sues Biden administration over requirement to provide LGBTQ+ youth foster placements
Read full article: Texas sues Biden administration over requirement to provide LGBTQ+ youth foster placementsPlacing LGBTQ+ foster children in more accepting homes would cost Texas too much money and resources, the lawsuit says.
Even as state mental health spending rises, private psychiatric hospitals struggle to stay open
Read full article: Even as state mental health spending rises, private psychiatric hospitals struggle to stay openTexas hasnāt increased Medicaid rates for inpatient health care at private hospitals in 16 years, falling behind other states.
Democrats hope anti-voucher campaign will help win back South Texas House seat
Read full article: Democrats hope anti-voucher campaign will help win back South Texas House seatThe first-term Republican defending her seat said a private school voucher program will help her community, especially students from low-income families.
Odessaās mayor ran to help the West Texas city ārepent.ā Now he wants a second term.
Read full article: Odessaās mayor ran to help the West Texas city ārepent.ā Now he wants a second term.Under Javier Jovenās leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure.
Abbott says potential power outages from Tropical Storm Francine will be restored within hours
Read full article: Abbott says potential power outages from Tropical Storm Francine will be restored within hoursTexas isnāt expected to take a direct hit when the storm makes landfall as a hurricane. But storm surge and dangerous winds are possible.
How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollution
Read full article: How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollutionAfter identifying flaws in the stateās air monitoring, the Tribune hosted workshops to inform Houston Ship Channel communities.
Families and advocates for disabled Texans pushing for caregiver pay raise
Read full article: Families and advocates for disabled Texans pushing for caregiver pay raiseA state Medicaid program pays caregivers of intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals living in community-based homes. Families, advocates and providers want lawmakers to increase that hourly pay.
What Texas can learn from Italyās big bet on tiny community health homes
Read full article: What Texas can learn from Italyās big bet on tiny community health homesIn Italy, as in Texas, funding hospitals over primary care leaves many feeling āmedically homeless.ā Italyās post-COVID plans show another way.
After being denied a medically necessary abortion, Amanda Zurawski will do whatever it takes to beat Donald Trump
Read full article: After being denied a medically necessary abortion, Amanda Zurawski will do whatever it takes to beat Donald TrumpTwo years after a harrowing pregnancy where she was denied an abortion, the Texan has catapulted to being one of Democratsā biggest messengers on reproductive rights.
Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driverās license
Read full article: Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driverās licenseThe Texas Department of Public Safety rule change surfaced in an internal email that also asks driver license staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change.
Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care services
Read full article: Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care servicesThe students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas.
When Texas jail standards push inmates to lockups in other states, oversight doesnāt follow
Read full article: When Texas jail standards push inmates to lockups in other states, oversight doesnāt followJaleen Andersonās mom is on a quest for details about her sonās death in a Louisiana prison that houses hundreds of Harris County inmates awaiting trial.
In new complaint, Texas women say delayed care due to abortion laws endangered their fertility
Read full article: In new complaint, Texas women say delayed care due to abortion laws endangered their fertilityTexas law allows doctors to terminate ectopic pregnancies, but both women say they were denied care until it was too late.
Abbott order will require Texas hospitals to collect patientsā immigration status
Read full article: Abbott order will require Texas hospitals to collect patientsā immigration statusThe executive order from the Texas governor will require hospitals to track the cost of care for undocumented migrants, in order for the state to push for federal reimbursement.
Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.
Read full article: Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.Educators say theyāll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help.
Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on case
Read full article: Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on caseTexas Health and Human Services could face $100,000-per-day fines for violating a judge's orders. The state wants the judge off the case.
How a lack of supervisors keeps new mental health workers from entering the field
Read full article: How a lack of supervisors keeps new mental health workers from entering the fieldFuture Texas therapists must complete internships to start their careers, but thereās not enough providers to mentor all of the students.
This company promised to improve health care in jails. Dozens of its patients have died.
Read full article: This company promised to improve health care in jails. Dozens of its patients have died.Health care contractor Turn Key serves nearly 70 counties across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas and Montana.
I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.
Read full article: I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.Texas Tribune journalist Jayme Lozano Carver has written about health care for years. Most recently, she reported on how little access there is for women and new moms in the Texas Panhandle.
San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselors
Read full article: San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselorsUnder a Harvard Medical School pilot program, church members and leaders will work as interns before counseling on their own, referring more serious cases to medical providers.
No backup required: Texas senior care depends on luck and wits to cope with heat after power outages
Read full article: No backup required: Texas senior care depends on luck and wits to cope with heat after power outagesThereās no Texas requirement that nursing homes and assisted living facilities keep generators on hand to power air conditioning after storms.
Just as the temperature climbs, Texas towns are closing public pools to cut costs
Read full article: Just as the temperature climbs, Texas towns are closing public pools to cut costsAdvocates say public pools are necessary community infrastructure and save lives. Splash pads have become a more affordable option.
Beryl power outages crowd hospitals, delay new admissions
Read full article: Beryl power outages crowd hospitals, delay new admissionsIn Houston, discharged patients remain in an arena to avoid powerless homes. Some 70 miles north, Livingstonās hospital is one of 17 in the state relying on a generator because of Hurricane Beryl power outages.
Stateās move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battles
Read full article: Stateās move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battlesA federal judge has taken the Texasā foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case.
Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records case
Read full article: Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records caseA doctor says the government wants to punish him for calling attention to wrongdoing. Advocates say the families of trans kids are the ones at risk.
Abortion on the ballot: Amarillo set to vote on abortion travel ban this election
Read full article: Abortion on the ballot: Amarillo set to vote on abortion travel ban this electionAfter the Amarillo City Council balked at such an ordinance last year, residents collected signatures for a ballot measure.
Cook Childrenās sues Texas over potential Medicaid contract loss
Read full article: Cook Childrenās sues Texas over potential Medicaid contract lossFor years, Cookās Children, two other childrenās hospitals have administered Medicaid health coverage plans. Canceling their contracts would put jobs and coverage at risk, they say.
Texas to begin construction this year on seven new psychiatric hospital projects
Read full article: Texas to begin construction this year on seven new psychiatric hospital projectsThe construction begins after lawmakers have allocated $2.5 billion to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care in Texas.
An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory loss
Read full article: An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory lossThe ambitious project has won a federal grant. But the Texas Legislature has not yet given its blessing, a crucial step to move the facility forward.
Texasā maternal mortality committee questions recent changes after anti-abortion doctorās appointment
Read full article: Texasā maternal mortality committee questions recent changes after anti-abortion doctorās appointmentThe committeeās chair also raised concerns about the stateās possible departure from a federal system to share data about maternal deaths.
With too few mental health providers, more patients turn to primary care
Read full article: With too few mental health providers, more patients turn to primary careWhile primary care is experiencing its own workforce shortage, the profession is shouldering more mental health screenings to help bridge the behavioral health provider gap.
As a Texas city debates an abortion travel ban, maternal care is scarce in nearby rural counties
Read full article: As a Texas city debates an abortion travel ban, maternal care is scarce in nearby rural countiesAmid a fight over an āabortion travel ban,ā women health care experts say more attention is needed to the plight of pregnant Texans in the Panhandle where there are few hospitals and OBGYNs.
Texas sues to block new Biden administration rule protecting access to some gender transition care
Read full article: Texas sues to block new Biden administration rule protecting access to some gender transition careIn March, the federal government said providers canāt deny gender care to transgender people that would be provided to others for other purposes.
State rejects health insurers' pleas to halt plan that will shake up coverage for 1.8 million Texans
Read full article: State rejects health insurers' pleas to halt plan that will shake up coverage for 1.8 million TexansAffected Texans who receive Medicaid coverage would be shifted to new insurers next year if the state health and human services agency sticks to its plan. Itās now up to the executive commissioner to make a final decision.
āGrateful to be aliveā: Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals
Read full article: āGrateful to be aliveā: Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitalsThousands of people are discharged from Texas mental health hospitals yearly, and so-called step-down programs like clubhouses can help them integrate back into the community.
Strict rules over delta-8 and delta-9 likely for Texasā booming hemp industry
Read full article: Strict rules over delta-8 and delta-9 likely for Texasā booming hemp industryLawmakers are struggling to balance demands for medicinal cannabis products with a wildly growing market that is outpacing meaningful regulation.
Texas revamps Narcan distribution following delays, unpredictable supply
Read full article: Texas revamps Narcan distribution following delays, unpredictable supplyTexas has tapped more than $45 million in federal funds to get the overdose-reversing drug into the hands of law enforcement, members of the public. But the program has been plagued by supply issues, delays and lack of communication.
Texasā first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areas
Read full article: Texasā first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areasThe stateās flood plan shows which Texans are most at risk of flooding and suggests billions of dollars more are needed for flood mitigation projects.
At five hour hearing, no one is happy with Texas Medical Boardās proposed abortion guidance
Read full article: At five hour hearing, no one is happy with Texas Medical Boardās proposed abortion guidanceDoctors, lawyers and advocates say the state boardās new guidance still doesnāt clarify when doctors can legally perform abortions.
New $305 million Austin State Hospital unveiled as Texas revamps psychiatric system
Read full article: New $305 million Austin State Hospital unveiled as Texas revamps psychiatric systemThe facility has 240 single-person rooms, a basketball gym and outdoor courtyards. Itās part of a $2.5 billion overhaul of the stateās mental health hospital system.
Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of Texas
Read full article: Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of TexasClarendon is one of the first cities in Texas to reject the ordinance, after several cities and counties passed similar measures
Anti-abortion crusaderās deposition requests generate fear, but no findings
Read full article: Anti-abortion crusaderās deposition requests generate fear, but no findingsJonathan Mitchell has filed at least nine petitions seeking information from abortion activists, doctors and women. None have resulted in a deposition.
Feds investigate another Texas school district for its gender identity mandate
Read full article: Feds investigate another Texas school district for its gender identity mandateKaty ISDās board voted this past fall to require staff to notify parents if their child wants to use a different pronoun or identifies as a different gender.
Legalized marijuana supporters hope voters in this Texas city will send a message to state lawmakers
Read full article: Legalized marijuana supporters hope voters in this Texas city will send a message to state lawmakersThere is no process in Texas for a voter-driven statewide referendum. So, supporters are going city by city to build statewide momentum.
Amarillo council may reconsider abortion travel ban after residents gather 10,000 signatures
Read full article: Amarillo council may reconsider abortion travel ban after residents gather 10,000 signaturesSupporters began the petition drive after the City Council punted on the proposed policy. Voters may have the final say.
Stateās premature release of bid proposal info touches off new battle over $116 billion in Medicaid contracts
Read full article: Stateās premature release of bid proposal info touches off new battle over $116 billion in Medicaid contractsThe early release of documents meant a single competitor got an early look at the other biddersā playbooks before final winners were announced.
New reporting requirements for life-saving abortions worry some doctors
Read full article: New reporting requirements for life-saving abortions worry some doctorsThe proposed guidance from the Texas Medical Board would require doctors to document whether there was time to transfer a patient āby any means availableā to avoid performing an abortion.
Seattle Childrenās Hospital wonāt have to provide trans patient records to Texas under new settlement
Read full article: Seattle Childrenās Hospital wonāt have to provide trans patient records to Texas under new settlementTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton suspected the hospital was helping Texas kids access puberty blockers or hormone treatments that are outlawed for juveniles.
Texas families could lose at-home nursing under stricter Medicaid rule
Read full article: Texas families could lose at-home nursing under stricter Medicaid ruleSome children who receive private duty nursing, a more continuous type of medical care in their homes, could lose their ability to live at home if an HHSC rule change goes into effect.
Texas is struggling to diversify its mental health workforce as the state becomes less white
Read full article: Texas is struggling to diversify its mental health workforce as the state becomes less whiteMore than 40% of the stateās population is Hispanic, but its mental health provider population is more than 80% white.
Proposed changes to state Medicaid plans could shake up health coverage for 1.8 million low-income Texans
Read full article: Proposed changes to state Medicaid plans could shake up health coverage for 1.8 million low-income TexansThe move, which has not been finalized, would drop three large health plans run for two decades by nonprofit childrenās hospitals.
Texas, Idaho abortion bans test against federal emergency medicine rule
Read full article: Texas, Idaho abortion bans test against federal emergency medicine ruleHospitals are required to stabilize anyone experiencing a medical emergency. Two lawsuits question whether that includes performing an abortion, despite state laws.
Texas psychologistsā board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state test
Read full article: Texas psychologistsā board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state testFaced with a nagging mental health provider shortage, the state psychologistsā licensing board is looking into whether the state should devise its own exam to get professionals licensed more quickly.
How Texas teens lost the one program that allowed birth control without parental consent
Read full article: How Texas teens lost the one program that allowed birth control without parental consentFederal Title X clinics do not require parental consent for birth control ā except in Texas, where a lawsuit upended the longstanding program.