The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
With Gov. Rick Perry expected to sign House Bill 2 into law, abortion rights groups are considering a lawsuit against the state as one option to attempt to block implementation of the legislation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/01/TXTrib-WomenMarch-CCR002.jpg)
Texas is not expanding Medicaid eligibility, but enrollment in the program is still expected to climb under new rules created by the federal Affordable Care Act. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/10/Seal_Medicaid_04.jpg)
UPDATED: With a vote of 19-11, the Senate on Friday night sent controversial abortion legislation to Gov. Rick Perry. While the crowd outside of the chamber chanted, there were none of the eruptions inside that helped kill the abortion bill in the first special session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/12/IMG_6291.jpg)
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum joined Texas GOP legislators on Thursday to tout proposed abortion regulations and criticize media coverage of the debate. Watch his full comments here. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/0711_Senate0356Santorum.jpg)
The omnibus abortion bill could get full approval by the end of this week, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said Thursday at a news conference that was attended by former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and other proponents of the legislation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/29ffcad0eeda8864c22cd3e44e4afcae/BD%20INC%20Santorum%20Abortion%20Presser%202013)
UPDATED: The House voted 96-49 on Wednesday to give final approval to proposed abortion regulations in Texas. House Bill 2 now heads to the Senate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/37b4b868233f9dcfe0cbf987a5b4f1d4/BD%20INC%20Laubenberg%20HB%202%20672%202013)
Texans and, in particular, the state’s Hispanics are in the dark on the new health care law because outreach efforts are focusing on states that have partnered with the Obama administration to roll it out, federal officials say. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/HealthCareRuling3.jpg)
Abortion opponents took to the Capitol on Monday night to endorse bills moving through the Legislature that would dramatically curtail the procedure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/09/Rally-Slide-01.jpg)
Texas lawmakers are on track to approve an omnibus bill to strengthen regulations on abortion. This interactive shows the number of abortions women received by county — both in raw numbers and in rates per 1,000 — and how far they live from abortion facilities. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/03/AbortionRateDataApp.jpg)
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and several high-profile figures joined an anti-abortion rally on the eve of the House's scheduled vote on omnibus abortion legislation. Meanwhile, abortion rights advocates led a march from the Capitol to protest the legislation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/08/TxTrib-ProLife-Rally001.jpg)
UPDATED: The Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee is expected to hear from hundreds of witnesses Monday on legislation that would tighten regulations on abortion procedures, providers and facilities. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/08/SB1-Wide.jpg)
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: Texas legislators are back for a second special session and another round of the debate on the state's abortion laws. Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Perry will announce "exciting future plans" in San Antonio. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/070313_ART.jpg)
Use our interactive to see which of Texas' existing abortion facilities would meet the new standards being debated in the second special legislative session, and to compare them with restrictions in other states. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/06/24/AbortionCenter-DataApp-2.jpg)
A day after thousands of protesters swarmed the state Capitol to oppose new restrictions on abortions in Texas, a House committee voted along party lines to approve the legislation. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/02/IMG_4395_1.jpg)
Thousands rallied at the state Capitol on Monday — most of them in opposition to legislation that would further restrict access to abortions in Texas. Take a photographic tour of the day's protests. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/01/Session-Last-001.jpg)
Republican lawmakers say that no matter how many women show up to the Capitol to protest an abortion bill, they have the votes to pass it and will in this session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TXTrib-CapRallyWomen-CCR011.jpg)
As thousands of protesters descended on the state Capitol in an effort to protect access to abortions in Texas, Republican leaders vowed not to quit until they’ve approved far tighter restrictions on the procedure. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/0d30383679268e03e50dea2c03ab89c0/BD%20INC%20Special%20Session%20Protest%2001%202013)
Opponents of Republican-backed legislation to dramatically curtail abortion rights in Texas descended on the Capitol by the thousands on Monday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/01/TXTrib-CapRallyWomen-CCR003.jpg)
On Tuesday, the last day of the first special session, those of us sitting in the Senate gallery observed rules of decorum — until we saw that senators were breaking their own procedural rules. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/07/01/Kathy_column.jpg)
Less than a week after their screams derailed a vote on a new abortion law, reproductive rights advocates are getting organized for the special session. But when proceedings begin anew on Monday, state leaders will be better prepared. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/2592308eb31a3fa4b54a0a98650a2e66/BD%20INC%20Davis%20Fillibuster%202013)