The latest Medicaid news from The Texas Tribune.
Before the state finalizes a decision next week that would slash payments for a therapy program for the poor, speech and physical therapists are fighting back, saying the impending budget cuts will harm thousands of children. Full Story
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Doctors with independent primary care practices in Texas are increasingly being courted by private equity firms looking for investments, and offering leverage in the consolidating health care industry. Full Story
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A program created this year will help pay mental health professionals’ student loans if they practice in a medically needy area. The program seeks to alleviate the state’s shortage of mental health professionals, which watchdogs are calling a "public health emergency." Full Story
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On balance, health care for the neediest Texans didn't fare well this session. Departing lawmakers leave behind a Medicaid budget that most experts agree is too low, and they predict it will spawn a hole in the state budget that will have to be filled later. Full Story
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Hundreds of Texas nursing homes have transferred their ownership to local government entities in order to secure more federal Medicaid funding. Critics of the arrangement say it shields negligent nursing homes from lawsuits. Full Story
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The House-Senate budget conference committee adopted its compromise on health and human services funding Wednesday, pleasing fiscal conservatives and giving little cheer to advocates for the poor and disabled. Full Story
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As Texas negotiates with the Obama administration over how to pay for health care for the poor and uninsured, the state's safety-net hospitals and clinics are steeling themselves for an uncertain future. Full Story
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The rate of Texans without health insurance has fallen 8 percentage points since enrollment began in the federal Affordable Care Act, according to a new study. Full Story
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Following news that billions of federal dollars for hospitals could be in jeopardy if the state does not expand its public health insurance program to cover more low-income Texans, Gov. Greg Abbott reiterated his opposition to Medicaid expansion. Full Story
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The Tribune asked more than 20 state agencies for basic information on their largest contracts with private vendors. Most knew, but the embattled health commission, which believes it has $60 billion or so in contracts, couldn't provide key details. Full Story
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Texas Republicans have long used the Affordable Care Act as a political punching bag, but that hasn’t stopped state budget writers from taking $102 million from the president's signature health care law to pay some bills. Full Story
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This week, we published Undrinkable, our series on why tens of thousands along the Texas border don’t have ready access to safe, clean drinking water, so we start this week’s playlist of the week’s news with “Something in the Water” by Prince. Full Story
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Texas lawmakers added more than 800 proposals Friday to the agenda ahead of the bill-filing deadline. After Friday, lawmakers have to get approval from their chambers to file a bill. Full Story
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In the Roundup: The Texas Senate passed its first legislation this week, state Republican leaders again addressed Medicaid expansion and reforms, and new bills aim to preserve the federal health subsidies in question in a U.S. Supreme Court case. Full Story
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Physicians’ groups told Texas budget writers on Thursday that the state’s health insurance program for the poor pays doctors so little that it is endangering the health of the program. Full Story
Texas and the 33 other states that refused to set up their own insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act are especially vulnerable to an impending U.S. Supreme Court decision. Full Story
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We’ve revamped our Hospitals Explorer, using the most recent Medicare data analyzed by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Use our updated tool to learn more about the quality of care available at Texas hospitals that reported Medicare data. Full Story
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Texas can rebel against Obamacare and Medicaid expansion all it wants, but enrollment in the state's insurance program for the poor is growing, and the federal government will be paying for less of it. An additional $1.3 billion might be needed just to maintain the status quo. Full Story
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Speaking Thursday at the Texas Hospital Association conference in Austin, potential GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson said it was a “mistake to talk about repealing” the Affordable Care Act without offering an alternative. Full Story
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Texas hospitals want legislators to find a way for the state to draw down billions in federal Affordable Care Act dollars to cover the uninsured and alleviate the burden on local taxpayers. This is the third video in our State of Mind series. Full Story
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