Outdated technology and stricter requirements for Medicaid and SNAP food assistance have made it harder for Texas to give timely approval to applications, state officials and advocates say.
Dan Keemahill
Dan Keemahill gathers and analyzes data on health outcomes and access in Texas. A native of Sacramento, Dan is a graduate of Northwestern University and started his journalism career as a contributor to the Tribune's schools and government salaries explorers. He previously covered public education for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit and worked with datasets related to immigrant detention centers, elections and the COVID-19 pandemic at USA Today.
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Texas affordability crisis
With voters squeezed by high costs, Texas candidates race to claim affordability mantle
If not carefully vetted, candidates’ proposals to lower costs could exacerbate future affordability issues, experts say.
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Environment
FEMA still hasn’t approved most disaster aid for Texans hit by this year’s July floods
The six-week wait for approval fits a pattern: On average, the Trump White House is taking longer than previous administrations to approve major disaster assistance, research shows.
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Hill Country floods
They’ve been hit by two major floods in two years. But Kerr County residents are staying.
Some say selling their property makes no financial sense even if they wanted to leave.
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Environment
As flooded Texas towns recover, downstream river levels haven’t yet peaked
While Gov. Greg Abbott declared “the worst of the rain is behind us,” he cautioned that rivers in the hardest-hit counties still pose a danger.
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Health care
Texas’ ACA enrollment shrinks by 4% after tax credit expiration, new federal data shows
As of February, 21% of Texans who enrolled in a plan through the federal marketplace did not pay their first premium.
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Graphics and data reporting
Measles vaccination rate for Texas kindergarteners increased slightly after 2025 outbreak
Despite the spike in demand for measles shots following the deadly 2025 outbreak, exemptions on all vaccines for schoolchildren rose after the release of a downloadable exemption form.
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Health care
Vaccination rates in Texas schools have been dropping. Look up the latest vaccination rates in your district.
The Texas Tribune has created a searchable database of the latest vaccine rates for school districts and private schools and how they’ve changed in the last year.
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Health care
What Texans need to know about upcoming SNAP restrictions
Starting April 1, Texans will no longer be allowed to use food stamps to buy sweetened beverages and candy.
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Graphics and data reporting
500,000 fewer Texans are on SNAP as participation slips nationally
Advocates say the federal government’s new work requirements and immigration crackdown has limited food stamp participation. The state says the recent decline is part of normal fluctuations in enrollment.
