The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
With the 84th Legislature underway, we've renewed our State of Mind video series, a look at various issues that communities across the state are talking about. First up, a look at some issues from the last session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/16/StateOfMind2015-recap-collage.jpg)
Already placed on leave, the deputy chief of staff to Health and Human Services Commission chief Kyle Janek resigned Friday, and has started paying back half the $97,050 tuition paid by the state. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/14/Sunset084.jpg)
Early on, supporters of Medicaid expansion pointed to Arkansas as an example of how Texas might go about helping insure its poor. But lately, the neighbor's grass doesn't look quite as green. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/22283e799a1b090e5a76a912538e99ed/BD%20INC%20Medicaid%20Expansion%20Protest%202013)
Gov. Rick Perry's formal farewell Thursday afternoon to the state Legislature dominated headlines with writers trying to discern from his speech what the future holds for him. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/15/PerryFinal453.jpg)
Amid calls for Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek to resign over a contracting scandal, sources close to Gov.-elect Greg Abbott say Abbott won't decide on Janek's future until after the completion of state investigations. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry will close the door on 30 years of state government work with a farewell address Thursday afternoon to the Legislature. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/5a8160cb99da15a4a721d5bd3144c4a3/BD%20INC%20Perry%20Running%20422%202013)
Gov.-elect Greg Abbott's office has confirmed that he returned a $10,000 campaign contribution from the CEO of the beleaguered company at the center of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission contracting woes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/13/_S3R7957Abbott.jpg)
At our 1/14 conversation, new state Reps. Celia Israel, D-Austin, Linda Koop, R-Dallas, and Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, talked about what the Lege is likely to do on health care. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/7C2A0582.jpg)
UPDATED: Gov.-elect Greg Abbott announced Wednesday the creation of an independent "strike force" to review the state's largest health agency, specifically how it awards contracts to private vendors. Full Story
A historic vote for House speaker could happen on a day long on ceremony otherwise. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7a4b30946ec66c0bfacabf067451fb9a/BD%20INC%20Straus%20Gavel%2001%202013)
Glenn Hegar, the state's new comptroller, today releases his revenue estimate for the next two years, which will go a long way to setting the early tone for the 84th Legislature. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/12/19/Dudes_copy.jpg)
With the 84th Legislature starting next week and new faces in every statewide office, it feels like a "Brand New Day" in and around the Capitol, so that's how we started this week's playlist off of the week's news. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/09/Brand_New_Day_copy.jpg)
The embattled agency on Friday promised reforms, after confirming a Tribune finding that an employee with ties to Commissioner Kyle Janek and ousted chief counsel Jack Stick has been pursuing his MBA at taxpayers' expense. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/D54H5618.jpg)
Unexpectedly tough lines of questioning by federal appeals court judges hearing arguments over Texas' requirement that abortion clinics meet hospital-like standards buoyed hopes of abortion rights supporters on Wednesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/02/San_Antonio_ASC.jpg)
As they weigh the constitutionality of a Texas abortion law, federal appeals court judges on Wednesday challenged arguments presented by the state and abortion providers during more than an hour of tough questioning. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/01/07/5thCircuit_copy.jpg)
It's official: David Lakey is leaving his job as the state's public health chief for a new academic post. His move comes as lawmakers are considering consolidating the state's health agencies, which could've meant changes for Lakey. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/10/23/7C2A0002.jpg)
This week, a federal appeals court is set to consider two prominent Texas cases: a legal challenge to the state's strict abortion regulations and an attempt to overturn the state’s longstanding ban on same-sex marriages. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/22/Protesters-Split.jpg)
No final resolution was reached in any of the three special elections held on Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/11/20/Menendez_TMF_copy.jpg)
David Lakey, the state's public health chief, will accept a joint position with the University of Texas System and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, sources tell the Tribune. Full Story
One of three Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees put on paid administrative leave amid a probe into the agency’s contracting procedures is facing a 50 percent cut to his salary. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/09/26/TexTrib-STICK-4.JPG)