At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation about health care, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, explained why he’s introduced legislation to implement a crucial part of federal health care reform.
Health care
In-depth reporting on public health, healthcare policy, hospitals, and wellness issues shaping communities across Texas, from The Texas Tribune.
Zerwas on Abortion and Women’s Health Programs
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation about health care, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, warned against defunding providers of women’s health services as an unintended consequence of defunding abortion providers.
Zerwas and Zerwas and Dunkelberg on What’s Good and Bad About “Obamacare”
At Wednesday’s TribLive conversation about health care, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, and Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities talked about what they like and don’t like about federal health care reform.
CDC Releases Texas Abortion Stats
There were nearly 81,000 reported abortions in Texas in 2007 — 11 percent of the abortions reported nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Texas had the 13th-highest rate of women having the procedure that year.
Lawmakers Hear Graphic Abortion Sonogram Testimony
House lawmakers had their first chance to weigh in on the controversial abortion sonogram bill today — and they didn’t mince words. Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, compared the number of fetuses that have been aborted since Roe v. Wade to a “Holocaust times nine.”
Guest Column: The Conservative Case for Needle Exchange
While many people believe that needle exchange programs simply facilitate or condone illegal drug use, there is a powerful conservative argument for why they’re good public policy.
Zerwas: Use Most of Rainy Day Fund or I’ll Get Spanked
At this morning’s TribLive conversation about health care, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, took a more aggressive position than most of his fellow Republicans on the subject of whether to tap the Rainy Day Fund and how much should be tapped.
Liveblog: Reform or Bust?
We liveblogged this morning from the Austin Club, where the subject of today’s TribLive was health care: the costs — and solutions — for Medicaid, payment reform in Texas vs. the federal health overhaul, and what kind of hit Texas’ neediest patients will take.
UT/TT Poll: Texans Are Ready to Roll the Dice
A majority of the state’s voters say they’re ready for full-blown casino gambling, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll.
TPPF, State Leaders: Medicaid Growth Is “Unsustainable”
A conservative think tank and Republican state leaders gathered this morning to offer their solutions to the state’s “unsustainable” Medicaid cost crunch.

