health care

Straus Releases Interim Charges for House Committees

By Reeve Hamilton Oct. 20, 2011

House Speaker Joe Straus has released the interim charges that will direct the work of the lower chamber's legislative committees for the next 11 months — and lawmakers will be busy. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
TribLive: Combs on Abortion and Family Planning

By Evan Smith Oct. 20, 2011

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Comptroller Susan Combs talked about her late-in-life switch from pro-choice to pro-life and the impact of cutting family planning funding. Full Story
Perry "Hates" Cancer, but Budget Cuts Slash Cervical Cancer Screenings

By Emily Ramshaw and Thanh Tan Oct. 17, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry "hates" cervical cancer, which is why he tried to make the HPV vaccine mandatory. Yet he signed a budget that defunds Planned Parenthood, which provides four times more cervical cancer screenings in Texas than abortions. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Gage Skidmore / Ed Uthman
Video: Planned Parenthood Clinics Close In Hidalgo County

By Justin Dehn and Thanh Tan Oct. 16, 2011

The state's family planning reductions hit the Planned Parenthood Association of Hidalgo County especially hard. In September, the association shut down four of its eight health clinics and laid off half of its staff. Anti-abortion advocates argue the state should not "subsidize the abortion industry." The Trib's Thanh Tan and Justin Dehn report from Hidalgo County. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Evan Smith Oct. 15, 2011

Aaronson interactively asks if stimulus funds created jobs in Texas, Aguilar on new voter registrar rules that could decrease voter turnout, Galbraith on a UT professor's debunking of climate change "myths," Grissom on an epic clash of El Paso political titans, Hamilton on the right's new higher ed guru, Murphy maps household data from the 2010 Census, Ramsey on a coming rules fight in the Texas Senate, Root and M. Smith on Rick Perry's performance at the New Hampshire debate and M. Smith talks public ed cuts with the state's Superintendent of the Year: The best of our best content from October 10-14, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
In Perry's Texas, the Man Behind the Curtain

By Ross Ramsey and Jay Root, The Texas Tribune, and Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times Oct. 14, 2011

Behind every politician there are men and women working in the wings, who can make calls, fix problems, raise money, punish enemies. In Rick Perry’s world, one man stands above them all: Mike Toomey. Full Story

Credit: Texas State Library & Archives Commision / The Texas Tribune
Pharmacies Feeling Pressure of Reduced Medicaid Fees

By Claire Cardona Oct. 14, 2011

Some independent pharmacies may have to lay off workers and cut services because of looming lower dispensing fees. Beginning in March, a new managed-care plan will reduce the amount pharmacies receive for Medicaid prescriptions. Full Story

Credit: Delcia Lopez
Video: Perry's Remarks at Values Voters Summit

By Thanh Tan Oct. 10, 2011

On Friday, Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the Family Research Council's annual "Values Voters Summit" in Washington. Watch his remarks, courtesy of C-SPAN. (Note: The speech begins in progress due to a signal loss.) Full Story
Video: New Perry Attack Ad Challenges "Romneycare"

By Thanh Tan Oct. 10, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign has produced an online attack ad aimed at Mitt Romney, accusing him of providing a blueprint for President Barack Obama's federal health care reform plan with the program he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts. Full Story
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 8, 2011

Murphy, Ramshaw and Root on Rick Perry and race, Philpott on Perry's vague economic plans, Tan and Wiseman on Barack Obama's foray into Texas to defend his jobs plan, Aguilar on Perry's proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico, Ramshaw on efforts to leash rising health care costs, M. Smith on upcoming legal challenges to the state's school finance system, Aaronson interactively explores Medicare spending proposals, Galbraith on efforts to pass — and to oppose — a $6 billion water program, Grissom on the release of a man wrongly convicted of murder and Hamilton on efforts to let the public write some legislation: The best of our best content from October 3 to 7, 2011. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
2011 Texas Tribune Festival Keynote: Neera Tanden

By Todd Wiseman Oct. 7, 2011

Full video of the keynote speech by former Obama health reform adviser Neera Tanden in the Health and Human Services track at the 2011 Texas Tribune Festival. Full Story
As Costs Rise, Texas Doctors Experiment With Care, Payment Models

By Emily Ramshaw Oct. 7, 2011

As the U.S. grapples with rising health care costs and a system that rewards doctors and hospitals for how sick their patients get, not how healthy they become, Texas providers are experimenting with new payment and care delivery models. Full Story

Credit: Michael Stravato
Perry Reviles Mandatory Insurance, but Texas Faces Crisis in Coverage

By Emily Ramshaw, Ryan Murphy and Thanh Tan Sept. 30, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry vehemently opposes forcing Americans to carry health insurance — yet his home state leads the nation in the size of its uninsured population and ranks near the bottom on almost every measure of coverage. Full Story

Credit: Callie Richmond
Video: Living Without Health Insurance in Texas

By Justin Dehn and Thanh Tan Sept. 30, 2011

Shantell Keller of Georgetown is one of nearly 6.2 million Texans navigating through tough times with mounting health problems and no insurance. Last month, she started going to Lone Star Circle of Care, a health center that treats underserved patients. Full Story
U.S. Supreme Court Won't Reinstate Abortion Sonogram Law

By Emily Ramshaw Sept. 29, 2011

The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to let Texas enforce its new abortion sonogram law while the measure is under appeal, following a similar ruling from a federal appeals court on Wednesday. Full Story
Liveblog: Health and Human Services at The Texas Tribune Festival

By Emily Ramshaw, Becca Aaronson and Thanh Tan Sept. 24, 2011

We'll be liveblogging throughout the weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's health and human services track — which includes panels on the fight over federal health reform, whether Texas can cure cancer and what effect tort reform has had statewide. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Ben Hasson
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 24, 2011

Ramshaw, Root and Philpott track the governor on the campaign trail, Tan and Dehn on high school football concussions, and Murphy and yours truly on the partisan climates of each district under redistricting maps: The best of our content from Sept. 19 to 23. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
In Third Debate, Perry Prepared But Stumbles

By Emily Ramshaw, Ryan Murphy, Becca Aaronson and Jay Root Sept. 22, 2011

Gov. Rick Perry headed into his third Republican presidential debate with a lot to prove. He left with a mixed bag. Full Story
What Perry's State of the State Speeches Say About Him

By Ross Ramsey Sept. 14, 2011

One 2012 presidential candidate wanted to sell a government-run lottery to finance a health insurance program. He wanted to deregulate college tuition, and then freeze it. He proposed leaving the state's Rainy Day Fund alone — or, sending the money back to taxpayers. Hint: He's from Texas. Another hint: He's not Ron Paul. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera
Video: Unaired KBH Attack Ad on HPV

By Evan Smith Sept. 13, 2011

Per Politico's estimable Ben Smith, here's a never-aired Kay Bailey Hutchison attack ad against Rick Perry on the subject of the day: HPV. Full Story