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Texas has the highest uninsured rate of children, adults, and women in the country. Reform Austin is committed to providing in-depth reporting to illuminate the critical issues and challenges Texans are facing in healthcare.
Texas is one of 14 states that refuses to expand Medicaid coverage. Almost 10 years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Texas still ranks last when it comes to affordability and access.
Additionally, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act could cost 1.73 million people healthcare coverage. Texas is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Texas still ranks among the worst for maternal mortality and low overall for women’s health. One in four Texas women are uninsured. Currently, women can obtain maternity Medicaid coverage until 2 months after childbirth. Advocates have argued that the coverage length is insufficient, and to address the maternal mortality crisis, coverage should be expanded to one year. Though Medicaid expansion would have made the biggest stride in improving women’s health, the policy did not get beyond a committee hearing or House floor vote in the 86th Legislative Session.
Approximately 875,000 Texas children do not have health insurance. From 2016 to 2018, the percentage of uninsured children rose from 10.7 percent to 11.2 percent. In Texas, once a child is approved for Medicaid they are covered for six months. After the six-month period, the state requires parents to file income updates monthly to continue the coverage. If the state determines there is a problem, parents are given 10 days to respond with necessary paperwork. This has led to many children being removed from the Medicaid roles, despite still qualifying for the program.
Reform Austin covers access to healthcare, healthcare quality, mental health, public health programs, and vaccinations. We report on laws the Texas Legislature passes and the effects they have on the healthcare system, as well as the laws that fail. In addition, we report on lawmakers involved to ensure our elected leaders are working for the public good.

Texas Leads In Most Rape-Related Pregnancies Since Abortion Ban

The Lone Star State added another first-place trophy to its shelf of dubious honors this week. A new study in the Journal of the...

Texas Has Highest Percentage Of Uninsured Residents In The Nation

Amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government implemented measures to facilitate the enrollment and retention of Medicaid for low-income Americans. However,...

Texas No. 2 During Record-Breaking Obamacare Enrollment

For the third straight year, enrollees in the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) have broken records. Texas is, by far, the state...

Texas Leads Nation in Medicaid Disenrollment

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government stepped in to make it easier for poor Americans to enroll and stay on...

Texas Ranked The Worst State For Children Mental Health Services

Texas ranked as the worst state regarding access to children’s mental health services, but state leaders are reluctant to take drastic actions to address...

Census Shows Texas Has Double The Uninsured Rate Of Nearest Neighbors And Worst Rate...

The refusal by state Republicans to accept the Medicaid expansion of the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare) continues to keep the...

Texas Sues Planned Parenthood, Wants Them To Pay Millions Over Services They Provided

On Tuesday, a hearing was set before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, regarding the lawsuit where the state of Texas is suing Planned Parenthood...

Texas Emergency Abortion Ban Is Back In Place After An Injunction Was Granted

On Friday a Travis County judge’s order temporarily blocked Texas’s abortion ban on emergency abortions. Just a few hours later, the Attorney General’s office...

New Report Shows Reasons For Maternal Care Decline

Texas is filled with "maternity care deserts" according to a new report from the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. The center defines maternity...

Concerned Employees Expose Chaos Amid Medicaid Unwinding, 500,000 Texans Lose Coverage

During the unwinding process, Texans faced a frantic struggle to maintain their Medicaid coverage. Sadly, due to "procedural reasons," approximately 500,000 Texans were cut...
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