The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
At a Monday hearing on the implementation of Medicaid managed care in South Texas, lawmakers got a much bigger earful on the consequences of difficult budget decisions they made in the last legislative session. Full Story
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A Democrat from Austin is finding common ground with Republicans and rural Texans. State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and the rest of the Farm to Table Caucus are hoping to reduce barriers to local, healthy food. Full Story
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Birth control is now covered under all employers' health plans, but on Friday, Texas renewed its effort to revoke that rule. Full Story
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This interactive shows how many Texans would lose food stamp benefits if a proposed $16 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is approved. Full Story
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Feminist icon Gloria Steinem blasted Texas' move to exclude Planned Parenthood from the Women's Health Program Wednesday. Full Story
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The Texas Department of State Health Services got an earful Tuesday from lawmakers and women’s health advocates at a public meeting in Austin to discuss proposed rules for the Texas Women's Health Program. Full Story
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More than a quarter of all Texans younger than 65 were uninsured in 2010, the highest rate in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This interactive map shows the percent of Texans in each county who lacked health insurance. Full Story
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An overhaul of the country’s nutrition and farm program is stalled in Congress. A major piece of that program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. And local food banks are worried about proposed cuts to the program. Full Story
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In the last two weeks, the number of reported 2012 cases of the West Nile virus has nearly doubled, and the death toll rose to 30 in Texas. This interactive shows the number of reported cases by county. Full Story
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A look at the upcoming Republican and Democratic party conventions, the state's win in a court battle over women's health programs, and a second win on federal cross-state pollution rules. Full Story
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Here's a visual perspective of reproductive health issues in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the country's poorest areas. This year, the issue of public financing for contraceptives and cancer screenings has often become intertwined with the controversy surrounding abortion. Full Story
Women in the Rio Grande Valley who are seeking a second-trimester abortion must travel several hours north to access the procedure. Illegal immigrants face an additional hurdle: getting past internal checkpoints. Full Story
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Nearly a third of Texans are obese. Limited access to healthy food options is part of the problem, particularly in low-income communities. This map shows the percentage of food retailers that offer healthy options by census tract, as calculated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Full Story
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The state’s Health and Human Services Commission is seeking formal approval for new Medicaid fraud rules that doctors say deny them due process and expand investigators’ power to halt their funding. Full Story
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State health officials are working to figure out when they'll exclude Planned Parenthood from the Women's Health Program. Meanwhile, the affiliates plan to continue services. Full Story
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A federal appeals panel on Tuesday lifted a temporary injunction and ruled that Texas can remove Planned Parenthood from the Women's Health Program before an October hearing in district court. Full Story
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For this week's nonscientific survey of government and political insiders, we asked what will dominate the next legislative session and about the odds for school vouchers, high-stakes testing and a Medicaid expansion. Full Story
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Texas' Republican leaders believe that abortion should not be performed in instances of rape — a stance that is at odds with a prospective Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan presidential administration. Full Story
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Planned Parenthood will expand breast health services to more than 40,000 women across five Texas cities, the result of increased donations following Dallas-based Susan G. Komen for the Cure's short-lived decision to halt funding to the organization. Full Story
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The state's sweeping Medicaid fraud investigation into dentists and orthodontists accused of giving unnecessary treatments to poor children has left Texas attorneys with more questions than answers. Who's responsible? Full Story
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