health care

TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith May 5, 2012

Aguilar on the House District 77 primary, Batheja on the HD-101 and SD-9 primaries, Galbraith on the GOP candidates for two Railroad Commission slots, Grissom on the latest in the Kerry Max Cook case, Hamilton on Texas A&M's new accountability website, Murphy and M. Smith on how much superintendents make, Ramsey interviews a would-be Democratic Party chair, Root on that nice Ted Nugent, M. Smith on the resignation of the state's education commissioner and Tan on the continuing court fight over Planned Parenthood: The best of our best content from April 30 to May 4, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
In Court Reversal, Planned Parenthood May Stay in Women's Health Program

By Thanh Tan May 4, 2012

This latest ruling means the Health and Human Services Commission cannot exclude Planned Parenthood clinics from the Women's Health Program while a lawsuit on the matter is pending in district court. Full Story
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 130

By Todd Wiseman May 2, 2012

On this week's podcast, Ross, Emily, Morgan and Ben weigh the recent resignation of Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott and the back-and-forth court rulings on Planned Parenthood and the Women's Health Program. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
On the Records: Feds Award $61 Million for Texas Health Centers

By Becca Aaronson May 1, 2012

The federal government awarded Texas $61 million today for new and improved community health centers across the state. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Judge's Reversal Gives State Go-Ahead to Exclude Planned Parenthood Clinics

By Thanh Tan May 1, 2012

A federal judge's ruling this morning means that the state may begin removing Planned Parenthood and other so-called abortion "affiliates" from the Women's Health Program, despite a district judge's Monday ruling to the contrary. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Study: Texas to Outpace Other States in Health Insurance Rebates

By Susannah Jacob April 26, 2012

Texas consumers and businesses could get $186 million in rebates from health insurers under a requirement of the Affordable Care Act, according a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Full Story
Video: Fertile Ground — The Effects of Family Planning Budget Cuts

By Thanh Tan April 26, 2012

The first part in our occasional series examining the battle over family planning in Texas considers the impact of lawmakers' orders to reduce spending on birth control and cancer screenings. A UT-Austin research group is beginning to track the fallout. Full Story
Interactive Map: Updated Life Expectancy Figures

By Ryan Murphy April 25, 2012

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has released its newest county-by-county life expectancy estimates — and we've culled them for Texas. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman / Johann Dréo / Ryan Murphy
David Callender: The TT Interview

By Reeve Hamilton April 24, 2012

The president of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston on how his institution has recovered from Hurricane Ike and the institution's role in the state's future higher-education landscape. Full Story
Obesity Series Showing Texas Schools Debuts

By Minjae Park April 24, 2012

Part of an HBO documentary series on obesity was screened Monday in Austin. Comptroller Susan Combs, who appears in the series, emphasized at the screening that parents need to take charge of their children's health. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by HBO
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey April 21, 2012

Aaronson on rate increases at TWIA, E. Smith asks Sen. Wendy Davis about surviving in hostile political territory, Selvidge's lovely slideshow on the rebirth of the burned out Bastrop State Park, Aguilar on the drawbacks to putting troops on the Mexican border, Galbraith on the expansion in uranium mining, Hamilton on posses in public schools, Murphy charts congressional campaign finance for the first quarter, Ramshaw on the merger of three regional Planned Parenthoods in Texas, Tan on the state's plans for the Women's Health Program and Root on the governor's re-election talk: The best of our best content from April 16 to 20, 2012. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
In Planned Parenthood Merger, Efficiency is the Name of the Game

By Emily Ramshaw April 20, 2012

The Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas merger makes the organization leaner and more efficient, advocates say. But they also hope it helps them defend their branches from intensifying anti-abortion legislation. Full Story

Credit: Allison V. Smith
Weekend Insider: Planned Parenthood Unites, Ted Cruz

By Justin Dehn April 19, 2012

Texas Planned Parenthood branches unite to form a mega-organization, and Emily Ramshaw reports on what this means politically. Ross Ramsey columnizes on the high expectations set for U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz. Full Story
The Weekly TribCast: Episode 128

By Ben Philpott, KUT News April 18, 2012

Ben, Evan, Ross and Emily talk about races to watch in the fast-approaching primary, Gov. Rick Perry's budget compact announcement and the Planned Parenthood merger. And Evan hears from some special birthday guests. Full Story

Credit: Todd Wiseman
Planned Parenthood Branches Vote to Merge

By Emily Ramshaw April 18, 2012

UPDATED: The boards of three regional Planned Parenthood branches — North Texas, Central Texas and the Capital Region — have voted to merge, forming a $29 million-per-year mega-organization with 26 clinics. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Abbott Stands By Legal Fights With Feds

By Ted Oberg, KTRK-TV April 17, 2012

Attorney General Greg Abbott defends the lawsuits he has pending against the federal government amid criticism that he's wasting taxpayer money, reports Ted Oberg of Houston's KTRK-TV, a media partner of the Trib. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
State Officials Aim to Take Over Women's Health Program in November

By Thanh Tan April 17, 2012

UPDATED: Texas health officials have delivered their much-anticipated plans for taking over the Medicaid Women's Health Program. They want to assume full responsibility in November. Federal officials say they're considering the plan. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
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