Despite Supreme Court Ruling, Some Texas Abortion Clinics Remain Closed
Texas abortion providers were surprised by the legal reprieve from the high court this week that allows them to reopen at least until December. But the legal battle has permanently changed the landscape for abortion clinics in the state.
Appeals Court Weighs Texas Abortion Law
Federal judges will decide whether 11 clinics must close to comply with state law. If they do close, some women in the state will be more than 200 miles from a clinic that performs abortions.
Federal Judge Blocks Texas Restriction On Abortion Clinics
This story is part of a partnership that includes Houston Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) In a highly anticipated ruling, a federal judge in Austin struck down part of a Texas law that would have required all abortion clinics in the state to meet the same standards as […]
In Texas, New Doctor-Restrictive Abortion Law Could Kick In Monday
This story is part of a partnership that includes Houston Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) A federal judge in Austin, Texas, will issue a decision in the next few days about whether clinics that perform abortion in the state must become outpatient surgery centers. The Texas […]
Half Of Texas Abortion Clinics Close Due To State Law
This story is part of a partnership that includes Houston Public Media, NPR and Kaiser Health News. It can be republished for free. (details) In just over the past year, the number of abortion clinics in Texas fell from 41 to 20, and watchdogs say that as few as six may be left by September. […]
Obamacare On Campus: Reaching The Young And Uninsured
Young adults may be key to the success of Obamacare. Insurance companies need a mix of ages, and a mix of healthy and sick people to balance out the costs for everyone — and young people tend to be healthier. But persuading them to sign up for health insurance is no easy task. Many don’t know about […]
One Texan Weighs Obamacare Options: High Deductible Vs. ‘Huge Fear’
Going without insurance “is like gambling,” says a 43-year-old social worker. But the high deductibles of Affordable Care Act plans make them a hard sell.
Oregon Shines On Medicaid, As Texas Stalls On Sign-Ups
In Oregon, the online health marketplace isn’t working for people looking to buy individual policies. But the state has been rapidly expanding Medicaid anyway. In Texas, insurance helpers may face state regulations that would make it even harder to assist people seeking coverage.
Houston Embraces Obamacare Outreach, Despite Cruz and Perry
A coalition of the city’s health department, county clinics and groups like the Urban League and Enroll America is trying to get the word out to Houston’s 800,000 uninsured residents about the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces, which will open Oct. 1.
HHS Offering Prizes For Videos Promoting Obamacare
The “young invincibles” are what health policy wonks call healthy young adults (18-30) who don’t see being uninsured as a problem. But it is a problem, at least for the success of the Affordable Care Act. That’s why the Department of Health and Human Services is spending $30,000 on prizes for a national video contest, […]
What To Say When Mom Or Dad Has Cancer
The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston offer emotional and practical support for families dealing with the disease.
Texas Legislature Weighing 5 Key Proposals To Limit Abortions
Anti-abortion forces in Texas achieved a major triumph in 2011, the last time the state legislature convened. They passed laws requiring a 24-hour waiting period and requiring all women seeking an abortion to undergo a fetal ultrasound. The idea was to force down abortion rates by changing women’s minds. A follow-up study indicated that abortions […]
Houston Hit Hard In Latest Medicare Fraud Bust
When federal law enforcement agents swept through seven U.S. cities earlier this month to arrest more than 91 doctors, nurses and others for Medicare fraud, one of their targets was Houston. For the Bayou City, it was the latest in a disturbing series of revelations about health care fraud there. A picture has emerged in […]
Hospital Banks ‘Liquid Gold’: Human Breast Milk
When Ashley Beecher had her first daughter, nursing was a struggle, and she sometimes had to supplement her baby’s diet with formula. But when she had her second daughter in January, it was a very different story. “Very early on I noticed [that] I’ve got so much more milk than what this child is drinking,” […]
Texas Advocates Push Insurance Rate Review
The Perry Administration’s Department of Insurance has nine reviews pending on insurers that are raising premiums more than 10 percent.
Could Grass-Roots Pressure Trigger Change Of Heart In Texas?
Health reform advocates and Democrats in Texas are reacting to Gov. Rick Perry’s vow to turn down both the Medicaid expansion and health insurance exchange mandated in the federal health law. Anne Dunkelberg of the left-leaning, Austin, Texas, think tank Center for Public Policy Priorities said that the Legislature will get to vote on whether […]
Planned Parenthood Sues Texas Over Defunding
Planned Parenthood branches across Texas have filed a federal lawsuit to prevent Gov. Rick Perry’s administration from excluding them from a women’s health program. A month ago, Texas was dropped from a federal program that helps subsidize contraception and reproductive check-ups for poor women. Even though the program has nothing to do with abortion, Perry wanted […]
Feds Drop Texas Women’s Health Program
The federal government told Texas today that it would be dropping the state from the Medicaid Women’s Health Program. Until now, federal Medicaid dollars had paid for 90 percent of the costs to help poor Texas women get gynecological exams, cancer screenings and contraception. Federal Medicaid director Cindy Mann says Texas will be dropped because […]
Texas Women’s Health Fund In Jeopardy Over Abortion Politics
Texas is in a stand-off with the federal government over a program that provides contraception and reproductive check-ups for low-income Texas women. A new Texas rule would exclude Planned Parenthood clinics from participating, even though the program has nothing to do with abortion.
Texas Insurers Could Send Out $160 Million In Rebates Next Year – Maybe
Texas is one of the 17 states that has asked the federal government to delay the insurance rebate program. But consumers and advocates want the new law to kick in on time in 2012.
