Five years after Texas became the first state to permit freestanding emergency rooms, more than 160 have set up shop around the state — a presence that suburban commuters and health insurers alike are finding impossible to ignore.
Edgar Walters
Edgar Walters worked at the Tribune from 2013 to 2020, most recently covering health and human services. Before that, he had a political reporting fellowship with the Berliner Zeitung, a daily newspaper in Berlin. He is a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked as an editor for The Daily Texan. When not in the newsroom or at the Capitol, he could be found on the volleyball court, standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Prosecutor: State Cancer Official Deceived Agency
A Travis County prosecutor on Tuesday asked a jury to convict Jerry Cobbs, a former high-ranking official with the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, of securing an $11 million grant for a biotechnology firm “by fraud.”
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Judge: State Never Proved 6 Houston Children Were Endangered
A state district judge who denied a request to keep six siblings — recently murdered in Houston — in foster care says he wasn’t provided enough evidence two years ago to keep the children removed from their family.
Posted in
Health care
Families of Disabled Children Sue Texas Over Medicaid Cuts
Relatives of children with disabilities and therapy providers are suing the Health and Human Services Commission, weeks before the agency is scheduled to slash payments to a therapy program for the poor.
Posted in
31 Days, 31 Ways (2015)
Video: New State Law Seeks to Curb Surprise Medical Bills
A new law will allow more consumers to challenge surprise medical bills they get from out-of-network doctors, but only if the charge is more than $500. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series.
Posted in
Health care
Months After Scandal, Another Health Agency Official Resigns
Months after he was put on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s contracting procedures, Cody Cazares has left the agency.
Posted in
Health care
Behind Medicaid Cuts, a Fight Over Child Therapy
Before the state finalizes a decision next week that would slash payments for a therapy program for the poor, speech and physical therapists are fighting back, saying the impending budget cuts will harm thousands of children.
Posted in
31 Days, 31 Ways (2015)
Obamacare Health Plans to Get Special Label
Texans who purchased insurance under Obamacare will soon have a special label on their insurance cards. Use our interactive map to see where Texans are purchasing these plans. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series.
Posted in
Health care
Houston Prosecutor to Investigate Planned Parenthood Clinic
At the urging of state leaders, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson announced Wednesday she would launch a criminal investigation of a Houston Planned Parenthood clinic.
Posted in
Health care
Undercover Video Shows Houston Planned Parenthood Clinic
An anti-abortion group released an undercover video Tuesday showing a Planned Parenthood executive at a Houston clinic discussing how the group recoups costs for providing organs from aborted fetuses for medical research.
