Lawmakers on Thursday condemned grant policies at the state's cancer institute that left room for potential conflicts of interest, and criticized a lack of transparency at the CPRIT Foundation.

The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday will hear the testimony of officials from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and address whether the state should fund the embattled cancer institute in the future.

State leaders on Wednesday called for a moratorium on grants issued by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. They also want the institute's oversight board to immediately address concerns about its grant-making process.

The future of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is far from certain, as the quasi-governmental agency and its fast-shrinking cast of advisers face accusations of impropriety and criminal and civil investigations.

As federal policies push medical providers to switch to electronic health systems, a new job market for highly trained health IT professionals is quickly emerging — and the University of Texas at Austin is taking advantage of it.

If Texas lawmakers expand Medicaid, the spending, savings, enrollment growth and reduction in the number of uninsured would be greater in Texas than in most other states. This interactive compares Medicaid expansion scenarios in each state.

Amid growing concern about the review process used to award taxpayer-funded cancer research grants, lawmakers and two left-leaning political organizations have called for investigations of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

Despite Gov. Rick Perry’s firm opposition to Medicaid expansion, a key tenet of federal health reform, Texas Democrats remain optimistic that the 2013 legislative session can yield a deal on the issue.

Anti-abortion advocates in Texas championed a string of successful measures in the 2011 Texas legislative session. For the upcoming 2013 session, they are trying to up the ante. 

The end is near for the federally funded Women’s Health Program. Could a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood really stand in the way of the state launching the Texas Women's Health Program to replace it?

If a new anti-abortion measure filed by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, passes in the upcoming legislative session, women in remote corners of the state may have even fewer options to get the procedure. 

Medical providers are speaking out against the state's Medicaid fraud investigations, saying the investigations are crippling innocent businesses and impacting patient care. Investigators say they only target providers when there's credible evidence.

U.S. Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco conceded the Congressional District 23 race on Friday. He congratulated state Rep. Pete Gallego, while renewing allegations that voter fraud skewed the results.

Planned Parenthood will continue participating in the Women’s Health Program, for now. On Thursday, a state district judge approved a temporary injunction to delay the state’s implementation of the “Affiliate Ban Rule."

State Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, is headed from the Texas House to the U.S. House after narrowly defeating Republican U.S. Rep Francisco “Quico” Canseco in the state's expensive congressional race.