The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
House lawmakers expressed frustration Thursday that some of their priority legislation had not moved in the upper chamber, including a package of health care and criminal justice reform bills pushed by House Speaker Dade Phelan. Full Story
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After years of studying how to practice medicine, they quickly learned how to treat COVID-19 patients, relay difficult news to loved ones and manage their own mental health during a pandemic. Full Story
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The governor is turning the dial to "normal," in more ways than one, dissolving pandemic restrictions and minding issues of interest to Republican primary voters. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over its decision to rescind the Trump administration's extension of the so-called 1115 waiver. Full Story
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The signing of the bill opens a new frontier in the battle over abortion restrictions as first-of-its-kind legal provisions intended to make the law harder to challenge are poised to be tested in the courts. Full Story
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Officials in Travis and Harris counties — both early adopters of pandemic restrictions — rolled some back Tuesday in an effort to allow vaccinated residents to return to pre-pandemic living. Full Story
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While 30% of Texans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the vast majority of children are unvaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized last week for children as young as 12. Full Story
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas are suing over the West Texas city’s “sanctuary city for the unborn” ordinance. Full Story
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Days after the House failed to pass a ban against gender confirmation medical care, the Senate pushed its own attempt forward. Full Story
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In a period of sagging vaccination rates — particularly among staunch conservatives — state Sen. Bob Hall used his platform to promulgate debunked anti-vaccine conspiracies and push claims that have largely been eschewed by the medical community. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit, filed Friday, argues that the Trump-era extension of the federal 1115 Medicaid funding waiver was lawful and that overturning it was a political move. Full Story
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Polling suggests that along with an increasing number of vaccinated people without masks, there will be many others who are unmasked but unvaccinated — posing a public health hazard to themselves and to other unvaccinated people with whom they come into contact. Full Story
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House Bill 1399 would have banned gender-confirmation surgery, hormone therapy and puberty suppression treatments for Texas' transgender children. Full Story
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The announcement will likely give new life to the debate about requiring vaccinations that has been playing out in Texas and across the nation. Full Story
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Texas ranks ninth in the nation in teen pregnancy. But lawmakers have neglected to pass a bill expanding CHIP to cover contraceptives. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott has said he intends to sign the bill. Full Story
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Parental consent is required for vaccinating children in this age group, either orally or in writing, though the guardian does not necessarily need to be present for the shot itself. Full Story
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As the Texas Legislature rolls into its final two weeks, it's fair to credit members with what they've done. But pay attention to what they ignored. Full Story
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Mount Pleasant in northeast Texas lags behind the state in its vaccination rate, but the town is boosting its numbers by mobilizing churches, nonprofits and other trusted community leaders to help overcome residents’ fears and doubts. Full Story
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The researchers said the additional cases they tracked after students began returning to schools represented 12% of the state’s total cases during the eight weeks after reopening and 17% of deaths. Full Story
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