In response to shrinking budgets, there’s a risk that lawmakers might feel compelled to scale back funding for treatment and diversion programming. Instead, it’s time for the state to seriously consider closing one or more of the 112 prison units it currently operates.
Medicaid
Averitt’s Out. Now What?
The next senator from SD-22 could be the incumbent, Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, Republican challenger Darren Yancy, or a Republican or Democrat whose name is not on the ballot.
Rate Riot
Families of disabled Texans fear an increase in home nursing rates could force them to cut services for their loved ones.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Stiles and Babalola’s long-awaited red-light camera data app. Grissom’s two-parter on a powerful Texan’s quest to change the DPS report on the crash that killed his son. Ramshaw’s two-parter on transitional medicine. Thevenot on the charter school queue. And a ton of political news: KBH filed (but our TribCasters wondered about her path to the GOP nod); Debra Medina filed (and Hamilton tried to sort out what effect she’ll have on the race); Farouk Shami defiantly remained in the Democratic primary (but Hu couldn’t find evidence that he’d voted very often, let alone like a Democrat); and Rick Perry sent personalized messages to every Tom, Dick, and fill-in-the-blank. The best of our best from December 7 to 11, 2009
Slideshow: Transition Medicine
Benjamin Ligums was born with a rare degenerative brain disease that left him immobile, non-verbal and legally blind. His family has found a second home at Baylor’s Transition Medicine Clinic, which specializes in treating profoundly disabled young adults.
Aging Out
When kids with disabilities transfer from children’s Medicaid to the adult program, they lose services, health care and medical expertise. A few committed doctors and social workers are stepping in to ease the transition.
Final Preparations
If you’re checking off the boxes for gubernatorial candidates, Thursday belonged to Gov. Rick Perry, who filed for reelection before noon on the first day he was allowed to do so.
Family First?
Should Texas medical schools be responsible for relieving the state’s primary care shortage? Advocates for family physicians think so. They want state lawmakers to reward medical schools that groom young doctors for family medicine — and penalize those that don’t.
Texas Weekly: Simple Math, Complex Problem
Balancing the next state budget may be more a political exercise than a technical one.


