Past Contributions

• Health Reform Roulette

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 31, 2011

  Even as Texas pursues a lawsuit attacking federal health care reform, some state officials are reluctantly laying the groundwork to implement parts of the law. Full Story 

• John Zerwas: The TT Interview

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 27, 2011

  The state representative and anesthesiologist from Simonton on why he filed the House's first bill to implement a key piece of federal health-care reform and was the first in his party to openly suggest that dropping out of Medicaid wasn't such a great idea after all. Full Story 

• John Zerwas: The TT Interview

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 25, 2011

  Full Story 

• Managed Into the Red?

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 25, 2011

  Texas hospital administrators aren't thrilled about the 10 percent Medicaid provider rate cut included in the House's proposed budget. But what they fear more is the proposed expansion of Medicaid managed care, which could force them to forgo a combined $1 billion a year in federal funding. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Can Texas Cut Medicaid Payments?

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 20, 2011

  In a case that could directly affect Texas' planned budget cuts, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether states have the legal right to reduce the rates they pay to health care providers who accept Medicaid patients. Full Story 

• Budget Blues

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 20, 2011

  As House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, laid out the first grim round of proposed cuts on Wednesday, even some of his Republican colleagues couldn't stifle their objections. House Democrats went a step further, calling the cuts "akin to asking an anorexic person to lose more weight." Full Story 

• TribBlog: LBB: State Must Improve Care For Disabled

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 19, 2011

  The way Texas is currently providing care for people with disabilities — keeping all its state institutions in operation, despite increasing demand for community-based care — is not cost effective, and should be changed, according to an analysis released by the Legislative Budget Board on Wednesday. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Pitts Lays Out Budget [Updated]

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 19, 2011

  House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, laid out the grim details of the proposed budget this morning — but said he still thinks lawmakers can be approve the budget during the regular legislative session. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Scrounging for Cash

  By Brandi Grissom and Emily Ramshaw Jan. 18, 2011

  The Legislative Budget Board has begun distributing (to legislators — not to the public) its recommendations for how to save money and raise money to help balance the 2012-13 state budget. They plan to distribute copies of the budget itself (again, to lawmakers only) later tonight, and all of the documents will be available online to the public tomorrow morning. The details are still coming in, but here are some of the headlines from the LBB's Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Recommendations. Full Story 

• TribBlog: Bills Get Social

  By Emily Ramshaw Jan. 18, 2011

  HJR 51 hasn't had a committee hearing, and was only filed Jan. 4, but it already has 111 Facebook friends and hundreds of Twitter followers. As lawmakers scramble in the coming months to push their legislation through the Lege, expect more and more bills to get their own social media presence. Full Story