From groceries to childcare, Texans are spending more to live here. Here’s how much costs have risen, why it’s happening and what candidates are proposing to fix it.
Health care
In-depth reporting on public health, healthcare policy, hospitals, and wellness issues shaping communities across Texas, from The Texas Tribune.
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Health care
Texas’ maternal health report delay is political and puts pregnant women at risk, lawmakers say
The highly anticipated report, which includes deaths that occurred after Texas banned abortions, has recommendations on how to reduce pregnancy risks.
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Health care
U.S. Supreme Court declines to give surrogate custody of baby she birthed in Dallas
McKenna West fled to Texas to give birth last month, saying she could not trust the biological parents after they asked her to get an abortion.
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Health care
Texas Supreme Court rules baby delivered by surrogate can leave Texas
The decision clears the way for the 1-month-old’s biological parents to relocate him from Dallas to Los Angeles, where the couple lives, to seek treatment there. Their surrogate wants him in Texas.
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Immigration
Texas officials are cracking down on “illegal birth tourism.” Here’s what that means.
Texas officials have sued a Houston area postpartum center as well as investigated Rio Grande Valley hospitals over allegations of soliciting foreigners to have babies on U.S. soil.
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Health care
$12 billion in Medicaid funds restored to Texas hospitals, ending impasse with the feds
The announcement ends a nearly year-long dispute with the Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services over the funding to Texas hospitals, which were slated to lose $27 million a day.
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Health care
Lawsuit blames Texas abortion ban for San Antonio woman’s death
Tierra Walker, who was 20 weeks pregnant, died of a serious complication known as preeclampsia in December 2024.
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Health care
Texas needs more foster care spending transparency, state report says
The Department of Family and Protective Services has been slowly moving foster services to contractors who aren’t giving enough details on costs, the Legislative Budget Board said.
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Health care
Texas judge: Alaskan surrogate does not have custody over child she birthed in Dallas
McKenna West has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying she does not trust that the biological parents have the child’s best interest at heart.
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Health care
Ectopic pregnancy deaths have nearly doubled. It’s worse in states, like Texas, with abortion bans.
After Texas banned nearly all abortions, patients have struggled to get ectopic care. More than 300 patients here experienced substantial blood loss in 2023 and 2024, compared to 2018 and 2019.