The latest Health And Human Services Commission news from The Texas Tribune.
About 50 Texas farmers markets take SNAP benefits, WIC benefits or both. The programs are not well utilized, but proponents say it's important to provide as many healthy food options as possible for Texans who use nutrition benefits. Full Story
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As state legislators consider what “a Texas solution” to Medicaid expansion would look like, others have begun addressing the question of how Medicaid expansion would affect the state budget and local taxes. Full Story
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News that the federal government has negotiated with Arkansas to allow that state to use billions of dollars in Medicaid funds to buy private health insurance for the state's poorest residents has some Texas Republicans intrigued. Full Story
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UPDATED: Looking to save Texas millions of Medicaid dollars, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard four hours of testimony on a proposed redesign of long-term care services for disabled Texans. Full Story
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It's politically unpopular among most Texas Republicans, but proposals to expand Medicaid coverage have gained traction with some fiscal conservatives. This interactive shows the estimated economic impact of expanding Medicaid by legislative district. Full Story
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The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday opened its discussion on how to finance the state's health budget by considering the impact of cost containment initiatives and how to proactively curb Medicaid fraud. Full Story
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After complaints from lawmakers about its earlier list of Texas Women’s Health Program providers, the state health agency has replaced its list online. The new list has 965 fewer doctors and clinics. Full Story
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Texas' Republican leadership is adamant that Texas will not expand Medicaid, a major tenet of federal health reform. A report by the state's former deputy comptroller and former chief revenue estimator suggests that would be short-sighted. Full Story
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Democratic legislators are questioning whether the Texas Women’s Health Program has an adequate network of health care providers in light of a state agency’s decision to pull the list of providers from a state website. Full Story
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Jane Nelson on Wednesday discussed new Senate proposals that target Medicaid spending. The plans would institute quality-based payment reforms for long-term care services and measures to catch fraud and abuse. Full Story
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As they contemplate whether to expand Medicaid, Texas lawmakers will weigh factors including enrollment growth, costs and savings, and the effects on the rate of insured. This interactive breaks down the numbers connected to those factors. Full Story
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The Health and Human Services Commission says the Texas Women’s Health Program has a greater capacity to serve impoverished women than its predecessor, a joint state-federal program that ended after the state excluded clinics affiliated with abortion providers. Full Story
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State officials are optimistic about the new Texas Women’s Health Program, which launched this week amid a long-running legislative fight. But at least one state lawmaker thinks there’s a problem with the program’s list of providers. Full Story
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The state this week launched its own version of the Women’s Health Program, which provides some health services to low-income women. Texas is funding the program on its own after the federal government pulled money following a long-running dispute over Planned Parenthood. Full Story
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Texas could be the next state to face legal action from a pharmaceutical company that sells a drug designed to prevent pregnant women from delivering premature babies. Full Story
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The rates of elective surgery for Medicare patients vary dramatically depending on which part of the state Texans live in, according to new research from the Dartmouth Atlas Project, which analyzes medical referrals, procedures and health care costs across the nation. Full Story
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Despite Gov. Rick Perry’s firm opposition to Medicaid expansion, a key tenet of federal health reform, Texas Democrats remain optimistic that the 2013 legislative session can yield a deal on the issue. Full Story
The federal government will halt funding for Texas’ Women’s Health Program on Dec. 31, the country’s Medicaid director wrote in a letter to state health officials the day after her boss, President Obama, was re-elected. Full Story
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Full video of my 10/31 TribLive conversation with Dr. Kyle Janek, the state's executive commissioner of Health and Human Services. Full Story
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At this morning's TribLive conversation, before the decision to delay implementation of the new Women's Health Program went public, Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek talked about what the state plans to do and why. Full Story
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