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.
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
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.
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Health care
Fentanyl is dominating headlines, but there’s a more comprehensive drug problem happening in Texas
Lawmakers are passing laws in an attempt to slow the rise in fentanyl overdoses, but drug advocates warn the opioid is mostly a booster for other illegal drugs.
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Health care
After an Austin employee gave birth to a stillborn baby, she was disqualified from parental leave. Now, city leaders want change.
Two days after delivering a stillborn baby, an Austin Public Health employee was notified she would not qualify for the city’s eight weeks of paid parental leave.
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Health care
Gov. Greg Abbott says he won’t renew his COVID-19 disaster declaration later this week
Texas appears to be the last state with a broad pandemic declaration, which was begun in 2020, still in place.
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2023 Session Recap
This year, Texas lawmakers zeroed in on existing health care programs, leaving bolder measures by the wayside
Pregnant moms on Medicaid will get health care coverage for a year, patients will get more detailed billing and nurses will get help with school loans. But efforts failed to gain steam for legalizing fentanyl test strips, increasing the pool of mental health professionals who accept Medicaid and expanding Medicaid benefits to more Texans.
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Texas Legislature 2023
New Texas law bans COVID mask, vaccine and shutdown mandates, but some Republicans want more
The bill, recently signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and set to take effect Sept. 1, does not restrict pandemic rules by private entities.
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Texas Legislature 2023
Gov. Greg Abbott signs legislation barring trans youth from accessing transition-related care
Texas joins 17 other states restricting transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapies. Opposing legal groups have vowed to sue to stop the new law from taking effect.
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2023 Session Recap
Texas lawmakers pursued dozens of bills affecting LGBTQ people in 2023. Here’s what passed and what failed.
The Legislature banned puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans kids, restricted the college sports teams trans athletes can join and expanded the definition of sexual conduct to include some drag shows. But a “Don’t Say Gay” provision for schools missed key deadlines.