The Women’s Health Program — long believed to require legislative renewal — lives on, at least for now, in the form of a budget rider.
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
For Some Republicans, Federal Action is Payback
State Sen. Dan Patrick says he knows why the federal government has intervened on two key bills facing Texas lawmakers in the final days of the legislative session: “retribution.” But is it that simple?
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Health care
Budget Notes: School Finance Remains the Key
Lawmakers made progress today on solving the current budget deficit but still haven’t solved the major problem in the 2012-13 budget: school finance.
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Health care
Kolkhorst Throws Herself a Life Raft on Heath Care Compact Bill
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst threw herself a life raft tonight, attaching her Health Care Compact bill — a measure that would seek to give Texas control of the purse strings for Medicare and Medicaid — onto a Senate health care bill that the House passed on third reading.
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Health care
Kolkhorst Holding Nelson’s Health Bill Hostage
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst is holding Sen. Jane Nelson’s health reform bill hostage.
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Health care
For Clients of Perry’s Advisers, a Troubling State Budget
Gov. Rick Perry has delivered his fiscal message loud and clear: Balance the cash-strapped state budget with cuts, not with the Rainy Day Fund or new taxes. Yet some of his most loyal advisers, past and future, are representing clients beating a very different drum.
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Health care
State Efforts to Take Control of Medicaid Struggling
Texas’ efforts to take control over Medicaid, the joint state-federal health care program for poor children and the disabled, could be in trouble.
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Health care
Senate Approves Bill on Health Reform Costs
In a mixed-bag swipe at “Obamacare,” the Texas Senate approved a bill today that would require state agencies to report the costs — and savings — of implementing federal health care reform.
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Health care
Special Session Hinges on School Finance Fix
The Legislature has just a few days to get the state budget, the most important bill of the session, passed and to the governor’s desk. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports on the final items needed to send lawmakers home on time.
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Economy
Budget Notes: The Race to Fix School Finance Without a Special Session
One day after the education fiscal bill, SB 1581, died on the floor of the House, lawmakers are scrambling to reach a deal and keep the budget bill, HB 1, on track for approval by both chambers before the weekend deadline. The governor is among the optimists who think they’ll finish their work without going into overtime.
