Advocates are calling for a halt to removals until the state can account for why more than 80% of the people who lost Medicaid coverage were eliminated for “procedural” reasons, like not responding to messages from the state.
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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Texas Legislature 2023
“We are dying”: Houston workers protest new state law removing water break requirements
The protesters called House Bill 2127 the “law that kills” and said it will leave those who labor outdoors at the mercy of their employers.
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Health care
U.S. House adopts Texas Republican’s amendment blocking Pentagon abortion policy
Under U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson’s change to the annual defense policy bill, service members could no longer be paid travel expenses if they are stationed in a state where abortion is not available.
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Health care
Rural Texas — already starved for health care — faces a dearth of volunteer first responders
The number of volunteer firefighters has dropped sharply nationwide, a trend that appears to be gripping rural Texas communities.
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Climate Change in Texas
Limited regulations make Texas workers responsible for preventing on-the-job heat injuries
In triple-digit temperatures, drinking water frequently and resting in the shade are minimum safety measures for avoiding injuries and deaths. But they are not applied to every job site.
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Health care
As veteran disability claims soar, unaccredited coaches profit off frustration with VA system
Austin-based VA Claims Insider says it has helped hundreds of thousands of clients. It has also touched off complaints and investigations.
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Health care
Texas Supreme Court says Gov. Greg Abbott’s COVID ban on local mask rules was lawful
Several of Texas’ largest cities sought to put in place mask requirements, which Gov. Greg Abbott overturned. The ruling is a legal win for Republicans in Austin their ongoing symbolic fight with cities, often run by Democrats.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
Nearly 10,000 more babies born in nine months under Texas’ restrictive abortion law, study finds
This is the first analysis of live births since the law, which banned abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, went into effect in September 2021.
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Health care
Nurses walk out of Austin’s Ascension Seton in historic strike
The nurses union says its members are responsible for too many patients at a time, resulting in delays in care for patients and more exhaustion among nurses.
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Texas Abortion Restrictions
A year after Dobbs decision, Texas has settled in to a post-abortion reality
The impact of Texas’ near-total ban on abortion is coming into focus as patients and providers leave the state, legal challenges languish and the state’s social safety net braces for a baby boom.