health care

Interactive: The Cost of Texas vs. the Feds

By Becca Aaronson April 17, 2012

This interactive breaks down the costs of the lawsuits that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has brought against the federal government. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith April 14, 2012

Aaronson maps Medicaid patients' access to pharmacies, Aguilar on Mexicans in exile, Batheja on an unlikely threat to a veteran lawmaker's re-election, Galbraith and Murphy interactively track reservoir levels around the state, Grissom on the ringleaders who rule the state's largest youth lockup, Hamilton on how much Texas professors are paid, Ramsey on who's conservative, Ramshaw and Tan on the latest Planned Parenthood kerfuffle, Root on what Santorum's exit means for the Texas primary, and parts 4 (by M. Smith) and 5 (by Tan and Dehn) of our series on school district closures: The best of our best content from April 9-13, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Allen Otto
Medical Board Adopts Stem Cell Rules

By Minjae Park April 13, 2012

The Texas Medical Board has approved controversial new rules on the adult stem cells, sparking worries that Texans could pay tens of thousands of dollars for injections that have not yet been proven safe or effective. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Medical Board Will Vote on Adult Stem Cell Rules

By Minjae Park April 13, 2012

The Texas Medical Board is poised today to decide on controversial guidelines for the adult stem cell industry, which is likely to prove lucrative. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Texas Dental Board is Accused of Ineptitude

By Becca Aaronson April 12, 2012

The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners was accused of ineptitude Wednesday during a House Public Health Committee hearing. But some said the board lacks the resources to do its job well. Full Story
Updated: UT-Austin Bans Tobacco Campuswide

By Reeve Hamilton April 11, 2012

The University of Texas at Austin is kicking the smoking habit, announcing today that it will ban smoking on all university grounds. The new policy is meant to ensure that UT continues receiving cancer research funds. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Planned Parenthood Files Suit to Halt Exclusion From Health Program

By Emily Ramshaw and Thanh Tan April 11, 2012

Planned Parenthood branches in Texas have filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to block their exclusion from the state's Women's Health Program. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Interactive: Mapping Medicaid Patients' Access to Pharmacies in Texas

By Becca Aaronson April 10, 2012

Use this interactive map to compare Medicaid patients’ access to pharmacies across the state. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Becca Aaronson / Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey April 7, 2012

The first two parts of M. Smith's series on failing school districts (plus Murphy and Seger's interactive on how districts' characteristics relate to ratings), Root on lagging GOP candidates for president trying to shore things up in Texas, Ramshaw on a "fiscal switcheroo" to get federal money for women's health programs, Galbraith talks to a West Texas farmer about crop insurance and climate change and Aguilar on the money behind a lawsuit on long rifle sales: The best of our best content from April 2 to 6, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Allen Otto
"Obamacare" on Center Stage

By Emily Ramshaw April 6, 2012

From contraception and cancer screenings to "Obamacare" and state physician shortages, here's a look at the month ahead in Texas health policy. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Suehs: State Could Use Block Grants to Free Up Women's Health Dollars

By Emily Ramshaw April 3, 2012

In a fiscal switcheroo, Texas could free up state dollars to fund the embattled Women's Health Program by seeking federal block grants for other programs, the state's health commissioner wrote in a letter to House Democrats on Tuesday. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Inside Intelligence: About Next Summer...

By Ross Ramsey April 3, 2012

For this week's nonscientific survey of the state's political and government insiders, we asked about their current assessment of the presidential race, federal health care, prosecutor accountability, and whether the governor could wind up on the national ticket. Full Story
Report: Texas Businesses Wary of Federal Health Reform

By Minjae Park April 3, 2012

Texas businesses are skeptical of the federal health care law, according to a report released by the comptroller's office. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents said the law will be bad for business. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith March 31, 2012

Aaronson interactively maps Texas Medicaid providers, Aguilar talks legalization with the head of the Drug Policy Alliance, Galbraith on farmers watering what they know won't grow, Grisson sits down with exoneree Michael Morton, Hamilton on the elusive $10,000 college degree, Murphy et al. update the 2012 election brackets, Ramsey on Bill Ratliff's frank budget analysis, Ramshaw on a hospital where the overweight need not apply, Root on Joe Straus' primary opponent and Tan rounds up reactions to the Supreme Court's health care hearings: The best of our best content from March 26-30, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Bill Ratliff, Free to Speak His Mind, Tackles Budget

By Ross Ramsey March 30, 2012

A Republican former lieutenant governor laments the cuts in public education spending and the Legislature's reliance on borrowing and accounting tricks to balance the state budget. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Looking Back at Hearings on Health Care Reforms

By Thanh Tan March 29, 2012

Here's a final roundup of Texas reactions to the last day of the U.S. Supreme Court's historic hearings on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
Video: Texas Banking on Health Care Reform Repeal

By Ted Oberg, KTRK-TV March 28, 2012

Texas has spent its energy fighting federal health reform, not working to implement it. So what happens if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds it? In partnership with the Tribune, KTRK-TV's Ted Oberg reports. Full Story

Credit: KTRK
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 125

By Reeve Hamilton March 28, 2012

Reeve, Emily, Jay and Kate talk about a Texas hospital that won't hire obese workers, Texas farmers watering crops that won't grow, and the primary challenge for the Speaker of the Texas House. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
First Minority Cancer Month Highlights Disparities

By Paul Theobald March 28, 2012

Lawmakers and health care advocates gathered today to kick off the state's first annual Minority Cancer Awareness Month, designated in the last legislative session to bring awareness to racial disparities in cancer survival. Full Story
Supreme Court Hearings on Health Reforms: Day 3

By Thanh Tan March 28, 2012

This Storify timeline summarizes reaction to the second day of the Supreme Court's hearings on federal health care reform. We also preview the agenda for the third and final day of oral arguments. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman