The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
In Texas, where mental health professionals are already hard to come by, another issue has exacerbated the situation in the state's growing minority populations: finding treatment providers who understand the communities' cultural and language differences. Full Story
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The Lone Star State is getting bigger. Texas had the largest population growth of any state between April 2010 and July 2011, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Full Story
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Root's scoop on Rick Perry's working retirement, Aaronson maps poverty in Texas, Aguilar on a voting rights warning shot from the U.S. Attorney General, Galbraith on the disclosure of chemicals used in fracking operations, Grissom on the drop in executions, Hamilton and M. Smith on UT-Austin President Bill Powers' rough year, Murphy and Tan and Dehn on the shortage of psychiatrists and Ramshaw on the federal refusal to exclude operators like Planned Parenthood from family planning programs: The best of our best content from December 12 to 16, 2011. Full Story
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The federal government has granted Texas permission to move almost all of its Medicaid patients into managed care in an effort to save money. But as Carrie Feibel of KUHF News reports, hospitals will now have to do more to show how they spend — and prove they deserve — state money. Full Story
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The Tribune's Thanh Tan speaks with a Texan living with anxiety and depression, the executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at UT-Austin, and the head psychiatrist for Austin Travis County Integral Care to find out the reasons behind the state's shortage of mental health providers. Full Story
While more Texans are being diagnosed with mental illness every year, experts say there aren't enough psychiatrists or behavioral health professionals to meet growing demand. Use our video and interactive county-by-county maps to find out why. Full Story
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The federal government's rejection this week of a state request to exclude certain providers — namely Planned Parenthood — from the Women's Health Program came as a victory to some family planning advocates, and a travesty to others. Full Story
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The state's finances are in better shape than previously believed, the state comptroller said Monday, with a new projection showing $1.6 billion more than lawmakers expected, even after the state covers part of the its Medicaid shortfall and restores some cuts to state agencies and universities. Full Story
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has turned down Texas’ request to run a family planning program that excludes some providers — namely Planned Parenthood. But it approved Texas' request for a waiver to expand Medicaid managed care. Full Story
Some cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates will take effect on Jan. 1, putting Texas’ Medicaid spending on par with that of many other states. But as Jessica Mahoney of KUT News reports, providers of physical, occupational and speech therapy worry many could be left without services. Full Story
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Texas Democrats say the state Department of Insurance's request for a delay in implementing federal health reform rules could cost Texans $260 million in premium credits and rebates over the next three years. Full Story
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In his latest ad, Rick Perry takes aim at GOP front-runners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney on health reform and vows to repeal "Obamacare." Full Story
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Continuing to emphasize religious values as the Iowa caucuses loom, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday that “bringing America back begins with faith." Full Story
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Fewer Texans will receive food stamps in December than in November, but the number is still up overall since 2005 as the national recession continues. Our updated interactive map allows you to explore the number of food stamp recipients in your county and the economic impact of the program. Full Story
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Aaronson maps the growth of poverty in Texas, Aguilar on the suicide of an illegal immigrant, Galbraith on the prospect of more rolling blackouts, Grissom on a prosecutor's memory lapse, Hamilton on the prospect of public universities undergoing a sunset review, Murphy's latest awesome redistricting interactive, Ramsey on a stumbling start to the 2012 election season, Root on Rick Perry's latest populist tirade, M. Smith on the boom in for-profit teacher certification programs and Tan on the fight against cervical cancer in ... Africa: The best of our best content from November 28 to December 2, 2011. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, offered his take on issues he'd face if elected to Congress next year, including same-sex marriage, Afghanistan, taxing the rich and health reform. Full Story
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Children in foster care are several times more likely to be prescribed psychotropic drugs, according to a new Government Accountability Office report on five states. As Matt Largey of KUT News reports, investigators found high rates of potentially risky practices in Texas. Full Story
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Experts speculate that a key factor in the increase in reports of child abuse and neglect is the struggling economy. The number of reported cases of abuse has grown 6 percent in Texas since 2008, before the recession. Full Story
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Root and Tan on the restoration of the Governor's Mansion and on the Perrys' expensive replacement digs, E. Smith's TribLive interview with three freshman legislators in El Paso, M. Smith on tough financial standards for local school districts, Ramshaw and Murphy on Texas docs paid by drug companies, yours truly on new congressional and legislative redistricting maps, Hamilton on the biggest competitive endeavor in Brownsville's schools and Aguilar on how border mayors feel about military equipment in their cities: The best of our best content from November 21 to 25, 2011. Full Story
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Thousands of Texas doctors, researchers and medical experts — including more than 100 who are employed by the state and are paid with taxpayer dollars — routinely supplement their salaries with income from pharmaceutical companies. Full Story
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