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Department of State Health Services
Posted in
Health care
The Opt-Out Option
A week after newly emboldened Republicans in the Texas Legislature floated a radical cost-saving proposal — withdrawing from the federal Medicaid program — health care experts, economists and think tanks are trying to determine just how possible it would be. The answer? It’s complicated. But it’s not stopping nearly a dozen other states, frantic over budget shortfalls and anticipating new costs from federal health care reform, from exploring something that was, until recently, unthinkable.
Posted in
Economy
Majority Rules
Whether you call it a wave, a rout or a tsunami, one thing is clear: Republicans in the Texas House won a massive mandate for conservative bills — and budgeting — in the coming legislative session.
Posted in
Health care
TT Interview: David Blumenthal
Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator of Health Information Technology, talks about electronic medical records, why it’s important for Texas doctors to make the paperless transition and how they can do it while protecting patient privacy and improving care.
Posted in
State Government
A Quarter-Ounce of Prevention
Callers have flooded the Texas Poison Center this year with reports of chest pains and increased heart rates because of a synthetic drug that mimics marijuana. Some cities are already taking steps to outlaw the substance, and lawmakers will propose a statewide ban in the next legislative session.
Posted in
Health care
TribBlog: State Forgoes Millions in Federal Sex Ed Funds
At the end of the summer, Texas quietly opted to forgo another pot of federal money — specifically, $4.4 million that would have gone toward educating youth on abstinence and contraception to prevent teen pregnancy.
Posted in
Health care
TribBlog: Medicaid Reimbursement Change Halted
The politically powerful hospital was poised to lose millions in Medicaid reimbursements under a hospital funding shuffle — until it reached out to lawmakers with its concerns.
Posted in
Health care
TribBlog: Magistrate Says Tort Reform Not Unconstitutional
A federal magistrate says the medical malpractice caps Texas lawmakers instituted in 2003 should withstand a constitutional challenge.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Lax Labs
The state’s public health laboratories are in financial disarray, according to a report released by the state auditor’s office this morning.
Posted in
Health care
A Turf War Over Mental Health
The intent of the law seemed clear: The state’s 39 MHMRs would, wherever possible, stop offering direct medical services and start managing networks of private providers. But a bureaucratic scrum has delayed the privatization of care.
