The latest Health And Human Services Commission news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas’ leading anti-abortion groups, reacting to the news that state Sen. Wendy Davis had two abortions years ago for medical reasons, reiterated their opposition to the termination of pregnancies, including ones where an unborn child is diagnosed with severe disabilities. Full Story
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The state of Texas on Tuesday announced a second lawsuit against Xerox, alleging that the former contractor failed to turn over client health records relating to its operation of the state Medicaid program. Full Story
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Texas women who receive state-financed health services may be able to more easily access contraceptive products like intrauterine devices and hormonal implants beginning Friday, when rule changes to the state’s Medicaid program and the Texas Women’s Health Program go into effect. Full Story
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Lawmakers are looking for ways to consolidate Texas' various women's health programs in an effort to improve access to family planning, cancer screenings and dozens of other services for the state’s poorest women. Full Story
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More than 80,000 additional Texans have enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program since the rollout of the Affordable Care Act last fall, despite Republican state leaders’ decision not to expand eligibility. Full Story
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Once again, the state's care for mental health patients is under legislative scrutiny, and county sheriffs and other local officials are hoping the state will fix a problem that has spilled into their domains. Full Story
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Despite the fact that Texas didn't expand its Medicaid program to cover poor adults, low-income parents are increasingly obtaining the coverage through an unlikely route — the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Full Story
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A new treatment for hepatitis C is considered a breakthrough for people with the liver disease. But the high cost of the drug has complicated efforts to get the medication to Texans who receive government-subsidized health care. Full Story
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Nurse practitioners say state regulations, which link them to supervising physicians, limit their ability to treat patients in a state with a looming shortage of primary care physicians. Full Story
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For providers who treat the state’s poorest patients, a settlement between the state and a Medicaid provider raises questions about how the state distinguishes fraudulent intent from human error. Full Story
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Carousel Pediatrics has settled its Medicaid fraud case with the Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General, agreeing to pay the state $3.75 million. Full Story
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The Senate Health and Human Services committee at a hearing on Thursday discussed Texas’ efforts to expand access to women’s health services across the state. Full Story
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The Department of Family and Protective Services has ramped up its efforts to conduct predictive data analysis and reduce the high turnover of CPS caseworkers, the agency’s commissioner told a panel of senators on Thursday. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry is quietly lobbying for Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek to be the next chancellor of the University of Texas System. Full Story
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More than 40 statewide organizations working to educate Texans on health plan options available through the Affordable Care Act are embarking on a campaign to mobilize those who have been left in the state’s “coverage gap.” Full Story
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Legislation that President Obama is expected to sign on Friday will cut $8.6 billion in food-stamp benefits over a decade, but Texas recipients won’t be affected. Full Story
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Many Rio Grande Valley residents enrolling for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act opt for the paper application, largely avoiding the federal online marketplace. But the paper process poses its own challenges. Full Story
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The health commission’s Office of Inspector General, which says Texas has misspent hundreds of millions of dollars on Medicaid orthodontic and dental fraud, has now lost its first three court battles against accused providers. Full Story
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The Affordable Care Act will increase the average cost of insurance premiums, making health care less affordable for those Texans on whom the system financially depends, according to a Texas Public Policy Foundation report. Full Story
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Nearly two years after news broke that Texas spent more on orthodontic claims in its Medicaid program than the other 49 states combined, the Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Inspector General is barely knee deep in its effort to recover millions in purportedly misspent Medicaid money. Full Story
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