INSIDER
Second Texas doctor sued for providing gender-affirming care to minors
Read full article: Second Texas doctor sued for providing gender-affirming care to minorsThese are the first cases under a law prohibiting doctors from providing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to help minors transition.
Board cancels costly psychologist licensing exam after pushback led by Texas
Read full article: Board cancels costly psychologist licensing exam after pushback led by TexasThe national licensing board announced it will consider folding the proposed skills test into an existing exam amid worries the additional hurdle would discourage applicants.
Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative session
Read full article: Delta-8 hemp and Texas medical marijuana industries to face off in the upcoming legislative sessionMedical marijuana providers say they must operate under strict rules while hemp products like delta-8 can proliferate.
Ken Paxton sues Dallas pediatrician over providing hormone treatments to teens
Read full article: Ken Paxton sues Dallas pediatrician over providing hormone treatments to teensIn the first test of Senate Bill 14, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Dr. May Lau of providing testosterone to at least 21 teens.
What is shaken baby syndrome, the controversial diagnosis for which Robert Roberson is set to die?
Read full article: What is shaken baby syndrome, the controversial diagnosis for which Robert Roberson is set to die?The American Academy of Pediatrics embraces the diagnosis, but courts have thrown out some cases, calling it “junk science.”
Texas’ order to ask hospital patients’ citizenship status renews focus on the state’s large uninsured population
Read full article: Texas’ order to ask hospital patients’ citizenship status renews focus on the state’s large uninsured populationOn Nov. 1, hospitals will begin asking patients their citizenship status. But data suggests uninsured citizens, not immigrants, cost Texas hospitals more.
Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortion
Read full article: Galveston man drops wrongful death claims against women who allegedly helped his ex-wife get an abortionMarcus Silva and the women agreed to drop lawsuits against each other just days before they were set to go to trial.
Can ire over abortion ban finally put a Democrat on the Texas Supreme Court?
Read full article: Can ire over abortion ban finally put a Democrat on the Texas Supreme Court?Three Republican incumbents are being targeted for their role in recent abortion rulings by a new Democratic political action committee.
Rice University says new implant could lower cost of popular weight loss drugs
Read full article: Rice University says new implant could lower cost of popular weight loss drugsResearchers at Rice University are hoping to release this implant in the next few years which will also hopefully reduce developing and manufacturing costs for popular weight loss medications like Ozempic.
Animal welfare advocates will plead with Texas lawmakers to help cities control stray pet population
Read full article: Animal welfare advocates will plead with Texas lawmakers to help cities control stray pet populationOne group estimated more than 568,000 cats and dogs entered shelters in 2023. About 82,000 cats and dogs were euthanized.
In South Texas congressional race, Monica De La Cruz and Michelle Vallejo spar over health care
Read full article: In South Texas congressional race, Monica De La Cruz and Michelle Vallejo spar over health careThe topic is playing a major role in one of Texas’ only competitive congressional races this year as the competitors debate Medicare, abortion and expanding coverage.
Texas maternal mortality committee asks to review abortion-related deaths
Read full article: Texas maternal mortality committee asks to review abortion-related deathsThe panel wants to review those cases, which have been excluded from state data for years, and other reforms amid a report that shows a spike in maternal deaths.
Why a conservative Texas mayor defied his peers and put the brakes on an abortion “travel ban”
Read full article: Why a conservative Texas mayor defied his peers and put the brakes on an abortion “travel ban”Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley calls himself “pro-life.” But the proposal to police the streets for women traveling out of state to get an abortion is overreach, he said.
Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.
Read full article: Despite warnings, Texas rushed to remove millions from Medicaid. Eligible residents lost care.Texas officials acknowledged some errors after they stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 2 million people, most of them children. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune review of records shows that these mistakes and others were preventable.
Texas sues Biden administration over requirement to provide LGBTQ+ youth foster placements
Read full article: Texas sues Biden administration over requirement to provide LGBTQ+ youth foster placementsPlacing LGBTQ+ foster children in more accepting homes would cost Texas too much money and resources, the lawsuit says.
Even as state mental health spending rises, private psychiatric hospitals struggle to stay open
Read full article: Even as state mental health spending rises, private psychiatric hospitals struggle to stay openTexas hasn’t increased Medicaid rates for inpatient health care at private hospitals in 16 years, falling behind other states.
Democrats hope anti-voucher campaign will help win back South Texas House seat
Read full article: Democrats hope anti-voucher campaign will help win back South Texas House seatThe first-term Republican defending her seat said a private school voucher program will help her community, especially students from low-income families.
Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.
Read full article: Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.Under Javier Joven’s leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure.
Abbott says potential power outages from Tropical Storm Francine will be restored within hours
Read full article: Abbott says potential power outages from Tropical Storm Francine will be restored within hoursTexas isn’t expected to take a direct hit when the storm makes landfall as a hurricane. But storm surge and dangerous winds are possible.
How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollution
Read full article: How we assisted Houston residents in monitoring air quality and reporting pollutionAfter identifying flaws in the state’s air monitoring, the Tribune hosted workshops to inform Houston Ship Channel communities.
Families and advocates for disabled Texans pushing for caregiver pay raise
Read full article: Families and advocates for disabled Texans pushing for caregiver pay raiseA state Medicaid program pays caregivers of intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals living in community-based homes. Families, advocates and providers want lawmakers to increase that hourly pay.
What Texas can learn from Italy’s big bet on tiny community health homes
Read full article: What Texas can learn from Italy’s big bet on tiny community health homesIn Italy, as in Texas, funding hospitals over primary care leaves many feeling “medically homeless.” Italy’s post-COVID plans show another way.
After being denied a medically necessary abortion, Amanda Zurawski will do whatever it takes to beat Donald Trump
Read full article: After being denied a medically necessary abortion, Amanda Zurawski will do whatever it takes to beat Donald TrumpTwo years after a harrowing pregnancy where she was denied an abortion, the Texan has catapulted to being one of Democrats’ biggest messengers on reproductive rights.
Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driver’s license
Read full article: Transgender Texans blocked from changing their sex on their driver’s licenseThe Texas Department of Public Safety rule change surfaced in an internal email that also asks driver license staff to compile the names of people seeking a gender marker change.
Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care services
Read full article: Queer students look for alternatives after Texas A&M ends transgender health care servicesThe students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas.
State leaders address Gov. Abbott’s order to require Texas hospitals to collect patients’ immigration status
Read full article: State leaders address Gov. Abbott’s order to require Texas hospitals to collect patients’ immigration statusCongressman Al Green and other leaders addressed Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order that requires hospitals in Texas to collect information on the immigration status of patients so that the hospitals can then track costs incurred for the care of undocumented migrants.
When Texas jail standards push inmates to lockups in other states, oversight doesn’t follow
Read full article: When Texas jail standards push inmates to lockups in other states, oversight doesn’t followJaleen Anderson’s mom is on a quest for details about her son’s death in a Louisiana prison that houses hundreds of Harris County inmates awaiting trial.
In new complaint, Texas women say delayed care due to abortion laws endangered their fertility
Read full article: In new complaint, Texas women say delayed care due to abortion laws endangered their fertilityTexas law allows doctors to terminate ectopic pregnancies, but both women say they were denied care until it was too late.
Abbott order will require Texas hospitals to collect patients’ immigration status
Read full article: Abbott order will require Texas hospitals to collect patients’ immigration statusThe executive order from the Texas governor will require hospitals to track the cost of care for undocumented migrants, in order for the state to push for federal reimbursement.
Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.
Read full article: Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.Educators say they’ll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help.
Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on case
Read full article: Appeals court to weigh reimposing fines for Texas foster care failures, removing judge on caseTexas Health and Human Services could face $100,000-per-day fines for violating a judge's orders. The state wants the judge off the case.
How a lack of supervisors keeps new mental health workers from entering the field
Read full article: How a lack of supervisors keeps new mental health workers from entering the fieldFuture Texas therapists must complete internships to start their careers, but there’s not enough providers to mentor all of the students.
This company promised to improve health care in jails. Dozens of its patients have died.
Read full article: This company promised to improve health care in jails. Dozens of its patients have died.Health care contractor Turn Key serves nearly 70 counties across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas and Montana.
I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.
Read full article: I started reporting on the dearth of reproductive health care. Then I had my own emergency.Texas Tribune journalist Jayme Lozano Carver has written about health care for years. Most recently, she reported on how little access there is for women and new moms in the Texas Panhandle.
San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselors
Read full article: San Antonio church leaders train to serve as mental health counselorsUnder a Harvard Medical School pilot program, church members and leaders will work as interns before counseling on their own, referring more serious cases to medical providers.
A difficult conversation: Suicide and its impacts
Read full article: A difficult conversation: Suicide and its impactsKPRC 2 Investigates looks into the tragic story of Robin Puryear, whose death might be tied to suicide, shedding light on the importance of suicide prevention. We are stressing the need to recognize warning signs and reach out for help through resources like the national crisis hotline, 988.
No backup required: Texas senior care depends on luck and wits to cope with heat after power outages
Read full article: No backup required: Texas senior care depends on luck and wits to cope with heat after power outagesThere’s no Texas requirement that nursing homes and assisted living facilities keep generators on hand to power air conditioning after storms.
Just as the temperature climbs, Texas towns are closing public pools to cut costs
Read full article: Just as the temperature climbs, Texas towns are closing public pools to cut costsAdvocates say public pools are necessary community infrastructure and save lives. Splash pads have become a more affordable option.
Beryl power outages crowd hospitals, delay new admissions
Read full article: Beryl power outages crowd hospitals, delay new admissionsIn Houston, discharged patients remain in an arena to avoid powerless homes. Some 70 miles north, Livingston’s hospital is one of 17 in the state relying on a generator because of Hurricane Beryl power outages.
State’s move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battles
Read full article: State’s move to bump federal judge from longtime foster care lawsuit caps years of battlesA federal judge has taken the Texas’ foster care system to task for 13 years. Reforms have been made. Now armed with private legal fire power, the state wants the judge off the case.
Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records case
Read full article: Fight over trans medical care is at the core of leaked Houston health records caseA doctor says the government wants to punish him for calling attention to wrongdoing. Advocates say the families of trans kids are the ones at risk.
Abortion on the ballot: Amarillo set to vote on abortion travel ban this election
Read full article: Abortion on the ballot: Amarillo set to vote on abortion travel ban this electionAfter the Amarillo City Council balked at such an ordinance last year, residents collected signatures for a ballot measure.
Cook Children’s sues Texas over potential Medicaid contract loss
Read full article: Cook Children’s sues Texas over potential Medicaid contract lossFor years, Cook’s Children, two other children’s hospitals have administered Medicaid health coverage plans. Canceling their contracts would put jobs and coverage at risk, they say.
Texas to begin construction this year on seven new psychiatric hospital projects
Read full article: Texas to begin construction this year on seven new psychiatric hospital projectsThe construction begins after lawmakers have allocated $2.5 billion to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care in Texas.
An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory loss
Read full article: An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory lossThe ambitious project has won a federal grant. But the Texas Legislature has not yet given its blessing, a crucial step to move the facility forward.
Texas’ maternal mortality committee questions recent changes after anti-abortion doctor’s appointment
Read full article: Texas’ maternal mortality committee questions recent changes after anti-abortion doctor’s appointmentThe committee’s chair also raised concerns about the state’s possible departure from a federal system to share data about maternal deaths.
With too few mental health providers, more patients turn to primary care
Read full article: With too few mental health providers, more patients turn to primary careWhile primary care is experiencing its own workforce shortage, the profession is shouldering more mental health screenings to help bridge the behavioral health provider gap.
As a Texas city debates an abortion travel ban, maternal care is scarce in nearby rural counties
Read full article: As a Texas city debates an abortion travel ban, maternal care is scarce in nearby rural countiesAmid a fight over an “abortion travel ban,” women health care experts say more attention is needed to the plight of pregnant Texans in the Panhandle where there are few hospitals and OBGYNs.
Texas sues to block new Biden administration rule protecting access to some gender transition care
Read full article: Texas sues to block new Biden administration rule protecting access to some gender transition careIn March, the federal government said providers can’t deny gender care to transgender people that would be provided to others for other purposes.
State rejects health insurers' pleas to halt plan that will shake up coverage for 1.8 million Texans
Read full article: State rejects health insurers' pleas to halt plan that will shake up coverage for 1.8 million TexansAffected Texans who receive Medicaid coverage would be shifted to new insurers next year if the state health and human services agency sticks to its plan. It’s now up to the executive commissioner to make a final decision.
“Grateful to be alive”: Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals
Read full article: “Grateful to be alive”: Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitalsThousands of people are discharged from Texas mental health hospitals yearly, and so-called step-down programs like clubhouses can help them integrate back into the community.
Strict rules over delta-8 and delta-9 likely for Texas’ booming hemp industry
Read full article: Strict rules over delta-8 and delta-9 likely for Texas’ booming hemp industryLawmakers are struggling to balance demands for medicinal cannabis products with a wildly growing market that is outpacing meaningful regulation.
Texas revamps Narcan distribution following delays, unpredictable supply
Read full article: Texas revamps Narcan distribution following delays, unpredictable supplyTexas has tapped more than $45 million in federal funds to get the overdose-reversing drug into the hands of law enforcement, members of the public. But the program has been plagued by supply issues, delays and lack of communication.
Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areas
Read full article: Texas’ first-ever statewide flood plan estimates 5 million live in flood-prone areasThe state’s flood plan shows which Texans are most at risk of flooding and suggests billions of dollars more are needed for flood mitigation projects.
At five hour hearing, no one is happy with Texas Medical Board’s proposed abortion guidance
Read full article: At five hour hearing, no one is happy with Texas Medical Board’s proposed abortion guidanceDoctors, lawyers and advocates say the state board’s new guidance still doesn’t clarify when doctors can legally perform abortions.
New $305 million Austin State Hospital unveiled as Texas revamps psychiatric system
Read full article: New $305 million Austin State Hospital unveiled as Texas revamps psychiatric systemThe facility has 240 single-person rooms, a basketball gym and outdoor courtyards. It’s part of a $2.5 billion overhaul of the state’s mental health hospital system.
Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of Texas
Read full article: Clarendon City Council rejects ordinance banning travel to access abortion outside of TexasClarendon is one of the first cities in Texas to reject the ordinance, after several cities and counties passed similar measures
‘I would send my momma here,’ New 24/7 Emergency Room clinic, Top Care ER, opens in Houston Heights
Read full article: ‘I would send my momma here,’ New 24/7 Emergency Room clinic, Top Care ER, opens in Houston HeightsTop Care ER, a new 24/7 Emergency Room clinic, has opened in Houston Heights, offering quality care to patients without the worry of surprise bills or insurance coverage.
Anti-abortion crusader’s deposition requests generate fear, but no findings
Read full article: Anti-abortion crusader’s deposition requests generate fear, but no findingsJonathan Mitchell has filed at least nine petitions seeking information from abortion activists, doctors and women. None have resulted in a deposition.
Feds investigate another Texas school district for its gender identity mandate
Read full article: Feds investigate another Texas school district for its gender identity mandateKaty ISD’s board voted this past fall to require staff to notify parents if their child wants to use a different pronoun or identifies as a different gender.
Legalized marijuana supporters hope voters in this Texas city will send a message to state lawmakers
Read full article: Legalized marijuana supporters hope voters in this Texas city will send a message to state lawmakersThere is no process in Texas for a voter-driven statewide referendum. So, supporters are going city by city to build statewide momentum.
Amarillo council may reconsider abortion travel ban after residents gather 10,000 signatures
Read full article: Amarillo council may reconsider abortion travel ban after residents gather 10,000 signaturesSupporters began the petition drive after the City Council punted on the proposed policy. Voters may have the final say.
State’s premature release of bid proposal info touches off new battle over $116 billion in Medicaid contracts
Read full article: State’s premature release of bid proposal info touches off new battle over $116 billion in Medicaid contractsThe early release of documents meant a single competitor got an early look at the other bidders’ playbooks before final winners were announced.
New reporting requirements for life-saving abortions worry some doctors
Read full article: New reporting requirements for life-saving abortions worry some doctorsThe proposed guidance from the Texas Medical Board would require doctors to document whether there was time to transfer a patient “by any means available” to avoid performing an abortion.
Seattle Children’s Hospital won’t have to provide trans patient records to Texas under new settlement
Read full article: Seattle Children’s Hospital won’t have to provide trans patient records to Texas under new settlementTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton suspected the hospital was helping Texas kids access puberty blockers or hormone treatments that are outlawed for juveniles.
Texas families could lose at-home nursing under stricter Medicaid rule
Read full article: Texas families could lose at-home nursing under stricter Medicaid ruleSome children who receive private duty nursing, a more continuous type of medical care in their homes, could lose their ability to live at home if an HHSC rule change goes into effect.
Texas is struggling to diversify its mental health workforce as the state becomes less white
Read full article: Texas is struggling to diversify its mental health workforce as the state becomes less whiteMore than 40% of the state’s population is Hispanic, but its mental health provider population is more than 80% white.
Proposed changes to state Medicaid plans could shake up health coverage for 1.8 million low-income Texans
Read full article: Proposed changes to state Medicaid plans could shake up health coverage for 1.8 million low-income TexansThe move, which has not been finalized, would drop three large health plans run for two decades by nonprofit children’s hospitals.
Texas, Idaho abortion bans test against federal emergency medicine rule
Read full article: Texas, Idaho abortion bans test against federal emergency medicine ruleHospitals are required to stabilize anyone experiencing a medical emergency. Two lawsuits question whether that includes performing an abortion, despite state laws.
Texas psychologists’ board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state test
Read full article: Texas psychologists’ board pushes back on costly new national licensing exam, considers crafting a cheaper state testFaced with a nagging mental health provider shortage, the state psychologists’ licensing board is looking into whether the state should devise its own exam to get professionals licensed more quickly.
How Memorial Hermann is helping to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health care
Read full article: How Memorial Hermann is helping to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health careApril 11th kicks off black maternal health week, and Memorial Hermann has important information for expectant mothers.
How Texas teens lost the one program that allowed birth control without parental consent
Read full article: How Texas teens lost the one program that allowed birth control without parental consentFederal Title X clinics do not require parental consent for birth control — except in Texas, where a lawsuit upended the longstanding program.
Texas counties, cities embrace new child care center tax credit even though few providers qualify
Read full article: Texas counties, cities embrace new child care center tax credit even though few providers qualifyChild care centers are struggling to make ends meet, and a new voter-approved tax credit is a first step toward boosting the flagging system, advocates say.
Years ago, Texas hustled to get kids on state health care. Now it’s kicking them off.
Read full article: Years ago, Texas hustled to get kids on state health care. Now it’s kicking them off.Texas’ recent unwinding of Medicaid and CHIP has been criticized, dropping more than a million people eligible for the health insurance programs. Decades ago, Texas officials got kids health insurance in record time.
First human case of bird flu in Texas detected after contact with infected dairy cattle
Read full article: First human case of bird flu in Texas detected after contact with infected dairy cattleThe person had contact with infected cattle, state health officials said. It's the second recorded human case in the U.S.
Texas woman charged with murder for self-induced abortion sues Starr County district attorney
Read full article: Texas woman charged with murder for self-induced abortion sues Starr County district attorneyThe Starr County district attorney dropped the improper charges, but the fallout “forever changed the Plaintiff’s life,” a new federal lawsuit says.
A woman’s fight to escape the hospital shows Medicaid’s limits for disabled Texans
Read full article: A woman’s fight to escape the hospital shows Medicaid’s limits for disabled TexansStaffing shortages and mismanaged care can delay when Texans on some Medicaid programs are discharged from hospitals. This can cost the state more and take a toll on patients and caregivers.
Taking a cue from the pews, Texas churches expanding mental health services
Read full article: Taking a cue from the pews, Texas churches expanding mental health servicesMany Texas faith groups have offered counseling services in the past. But more of them are expanding their programs, partnering with providers, to help meet the growing need here for mental health services.
Watch a Texas Tribune conversation on meeting the state’s health care workforce needs
Read full article: Watch a Texas Tribune conversation on meeting the state’s health care workforce needsAt Texas State Technical College in Waco, medical experts discussed how Texas schools are addressing workforce shortages and what else is needed to address our state’s needs.
U.S. Supreme Court takes up Texas case challenging abortion pill access
Read full article: U.S. Supreme Court takes up Texas case challenging abortion pill accessA majority of Supreme Court justices seemed open to keeping mifepristone, a common abortion-inducing drug, on the market despite a Texas ruling revoking its FDA approval.