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.

As COVID-19 Cases Increase, Texas May Be Heading for Trouble

Texas set new daily records for COVID-19 hospitalizations and new positive cases this week. Could that be a trend? What can we expect in...
PPE

How Years of Underfunding Public Health Left Texas Ill Prepared For The Pandemic

In the spring, as public health officials were beginning to see the novel coronavirus spreading in Texas, Danny Updike had bad news and good...

Harris County’s Top Health Official Has a New Gig

After seven years Dr. Umair Shah, Harris County's top health official, is bound for the Pacific Northwest to be the next Secretary of Health...

Biden’s New Social Policy Bill Could Get Texas Hospitals a 1.5 Billion Dollar Boost

A new provision that aims to expand health insurance coverage is being discussed in Congress right now, if it’s approved, an estimate from 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...

State Health Services Report Says Overdoses Leading Cause of Texas Maternal Deaths

A report released by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said that drug overdoses, most of them related to opioids, caused the deaths of more new mothers than any other cause between 2012 and 2015.

Texas has more than 200 freestanding ERs. Lawmakers just passed bills to combat patient...

Ten years ago, Texas became the first state to allow licenses for independent freestanding emergency rooms. Since then, just over 200 have opened their...

A Million Texans Signed Up for the Affordable Care Act in 2019

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has faced a hostile Trump Administration determined to dismantle it since President Trump took office in...

Pro- and Anti-vaccination Groups Prepare for Battle Over Coronavirus Vaccine

A vaccine for coronavirus is likely still more than a year away, but it’s on the minds of Texans right now.  On both sides of...
Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020. Photo credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

Rejecting appeal, Texas Supreme Court blocks Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance

The high court let stand a lower court's ruling that Austin's paid sick leave ordinance is unconstitutional because it conflicts with the Texas Minimum Wage Act.
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