The latest Medicaid news from The Texas Tribune.
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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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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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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In the weekend edition of The Brief podcast, Juanita Raji says she could have used more time on Medicaid postpartum and supports lawmakers' efforts to extend coverage for new moms. Full Story
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Nothing is truly dead until the session ends. But committee chairs in both chambers have blocked bills from getting hearings, and supporters have dim hopes that Republican leaders will revive it in time. Full Story
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In the latest episode of our podcast about the Texas Legislature, Evan Smith talks to Elena Marks, the president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation, about long-shot efforts to expand Medicaid in the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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House members filed nearly 240 proposed tweaks to the massive spending plan and spent hours taking votes on controversial issues ranging from Medicaid expansion to school vouchers. Full Story
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The Texas Legislature is working on a budget that spends around $250 billion. But it doesn't include billions in federal COVID-19 relief money or account for big changes that could rock the state's Medicaid programs. Full Story
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Expanding the Medicaid rolls to include more than a million Texans could get a floor vote during House budget hearings on Thursday. Full Story
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The number of reported maternal deaths has increased nationwide in recent decades. Health experts and advocates say giving low-income moms Medicaid coverage for a year after delivery, rather than two months, could save lives. Full Story
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Health officials had told Planned Parenthood's Medicaid patients they had until early February to find new doctors, but the health provider filed an emergency lawsuit saying the state had not followed the proper procedures. Full Story
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Their plea comes just days after a state district judge temporarily stopped the state from excluding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid, a government health insurance program for the poor. A hearing is scheduled for later this month. Full Story
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A state district judge ruled Wednesday. That's the same day the state had given Planned Parenthood patients to find new doctors after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Texas officials who have long sought to block the health provider from participating in Medicaid. Full Story
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The state's health commission gave Planned Parenthood's Medicaid patients until Feb. 3 to find new doctors. Experts say there are limited places low-income patients can go, in part because Texas already has a shortage of doctors who accept Medicaid due to the state’s low payment rates. Full Story
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The extension comes after the conservative U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in November sided with Texas officials who have long tried to block Planned Parenthood from participating in Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor. Full Story
Texas is leading a group of conservative states in a legal battle to have the sprawling health care law struck down. Without it, disabled Texans stand to lose programs that have allowed more people to stay in their homes, rather than state-run institutions. Full Story
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The group cautions that the more than 8,000 Texans on Medicaid who rely on Planned Parenthood could lose coverage during a pandemic. Full Story
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The pandemic-driven economic downturn has left more than 5.4 million Americans with no job and no insurance. Texas has one of the largest shares of this increase. Full Story
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Texas had the highest uninsured rate of any state before the outbreak. It's also among a minority of states that have declined to expand Medicaid coverage to people with incomes near or below the poverty line. Full Story
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"This decision is necessary to ensure the contract award processes are conducted with integrity, fairness and transparency," a spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission said. Full Story
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