Health care

Baylor student becomes second person in Texas suspected of contracting coronavirus

by Stacy Fernández

According to an Austin media report, state officials are investigating a potential third case. This week, a student at Texas A&M became the first person in Texas suspected of contracting coronavirus. Full Story 

Texas A&M student suspected of contracting deadly coronavirus has been quarantined in Brazos County

by Stacy Fernández

The virus has killed 25 people outside of the United States so far, according to multiple news organizations. Full Story 

Tenth Talks: Texas' health commissioner talks about preparing for the next decade

by Texas Tribune Staff

Watch Dr. Courtney N. Phillips, the state’s health commissioner, talk about some of the challenges for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Phillips' speech is part of a Tribune series on the next 10 years of Texas. Full Story 

CBD products are everywhere in Texas since the state legalized hemp. Experts warn: buyer beware.

by Naomi Andu

Much of the sudden spike in popularity is thanks to a Texas law last year that legalized hemp, the plant from which CBD is derived. Full Story 

Trump restores funding that was cut over targeting Planned Parenthood

by Edgar Walters

The Trump administration announcement reverses an Obama-era decision in 2012 to cut federal women’s health funding to Texas. That came as punishment after the Texas Legislature excluded Planned Parenthood from the Healthy Texas Women program in 2011. Full Story 

Tenth Talks: Dell Medical School's vice dean talks about fixing health care

by Texas Tribune Staff

Watch Mini Kahlon, the vice dean of the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School, talk about an opportunity for radical change when it comes to health care. Kahlon's speech is part of a Tribune series on the next 10 years of Texas. Full Story 

Three Texas towns vote in favor of "sanctuary cities for the unborn," hoping to ban abortion

by Edgar Walters

Big Spring, Colorado City and Rusk are the three latest towns to vote in favor of such ordinances, which are of contested legality and enforceability. Full Story 

Under new Texas law, Planned Parenthood likely to be excluded from state employees' annual charity drive

by Emma Platoff

A legal opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that facilitating state employees' donations to Planned Parenthood falls under a 2019 state law prohibiting government entities from entering into "taxpayer resource transactions" with abortion providers or their affiliates. Full Story 

Tenth Talks: Watch five experts predict the future of health care in Texas

by Emily Ramshaw and Michael Rey de Leon

In this edition of Tenth Talks, a Texas Tribune video series on the next 10 years of Texas, five of the state’s top health industry innovators predict what’s in store for their field. Full Story 

Texas judge tells Fort Worth hospital it can remove baby from life support

by Abby Livingston

Tinslee Lewis' family plans to appeal the judge's decision, according to Texas Right to Life. Full Story 

What you need to know about Texas’ new surprise medical billing law

by Edgar Walters

The law aims to remove patients from billing disputes between health plans and doctors, but it only applies to the 16% of Texans with state-regulated health insurance. Full Story 

Revisit some of The Texas Tribune’s best stories of 2019

by Corrie MacLaggan

Our reporters crisscrossed the Texas Capitol and traveled to the Panhandle and East Texas — as well as the Netherlands and Honduras — to tell stories about the state's politics, people and places. From a story on a migrant's desperate journey to a look at how coal companies are leaving behind contaminated land, here is a selection of their best work of the year. Full Story 

Individual mandate is unconstitutional, federal appellate court rules in Texas-led Affordable Care Act lawsuit

by Emma Platoff

A panel on the conservative-leaning U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the lawsuit back to a district court in Texas to reassess how much of the Affordable Care Act can stand if the individual mandate must fall. Full Story 

An estimated 390,000 Texans might lose access to food stamps under new Trump policy

by Stacy Fernández

One of the proposed rule changes could make SNAP recipients ineligible if their vehicles are valued at more than $4,650. Full Story 

Nonprofits claim Texas broke the law by leaving them out of Medicaid contracts

by Edgar Walters

The Houston region’s Community Health Choice and San Antonio’s Community First Health plans are suing the state, saying the law promises them a piece of roughly $10 billion in Medicaid contracts. Full Story 

University of North Texas is opening a cafeteria without milk, eggs, wheat and more. It's free of most food allergens.

by Bill Zeeble, KERA News

UNT says its university cafeteria is the first in the state to offer food without the eight most common food allergens. Full Story 

The extraordinary danger of being pregnant and uninsured in Texas

by Nina Martin, ProPublica and Julia Belluz, Vox

Over three years, nearly 400 pregnant or new mothers died in Texas. Its system for helping the uninsured thwarts women at every turn, frustrates doctors and midwives, and incentivizes substandard care. Full Story 

The Future of Health Care

by Texas Tribune Events Staff

Join us in Edinburg for a day full of conversations on health care issues affecting Texas and Texans as part of our 10th Anniversary event series. Full Story 

Prison health care costs are higher than ever in Texas. Many point to an aging prison population.

by Davis Rich

Although there are fewer people in prison than there were a decade ago, costs have surged along with the share of inmates who are older — and sicker. Full Story 

San Antonio paid sick leave requirement blocked by state judge

by Stacy Fernández

A judge blocked an ordinance that would provide paid sick leave for employees who work in the city of San Antonio starting Dec. 1. Full Story