Healthcare

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.

Advocates Say Expanding Medicaid Could Help the Homeless. Greg Abbott Says He's Weighing Options.

Susan Peake lives at the state-run homeless encampment off U.S. Highway 183 in Austin. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune When Susan Peake moved...

San Antonio Hospital May Have a Solution to the Mask Shortage

As the United States now leads the world in the total number of COVID-19 diagnoses, masks and other protective medical equipment for health care...

Galveston Family Hit With $5,000 Bill After Vaccinating Children Amid Measles Outbreak

When Thang Nguyen took his young children to a University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) clinic in...

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...

Dwayne Bohac Puts Texas Children At Risk

As an elected official, Dwayne Bohac has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of Texas kids. If the people he is supposed to represent can’t trust him to do that, what can they trust him to do?

These health care workers will be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine

Health care workers will be the first people in Texas to receive a COVID-19 vaccine once one receives emergency approval from the U.S. government,...

Texas Doctors Urge Vaccination After Measles Death

Since a Texas child died from measles-related complications on Tuesday, doctors have been urging Texans to vaccinate their children as the outbreak spreads across...

Lack of Testing Creates Incomplete Picture of Pandemic in Texas

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is going up daily, but the numbers being reported may not provide a true picture of how many...

Federal Judge Keeps DACA Recipients From Receiving Health Coverage

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor blocked a Biden Administration rule that would have allowed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients...

Why Are Texas Children At Greater Risk Of Losing Medicaid?

On Thursday, The Georgetown University Center for Children and Families released a report that estimates 6.7 million children are at high risk of becoming...
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